


Godkiller

by HeadOfSpectre



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Gladion x Sun, Jedi, Multi, Pokemon - Freeform, Various OC ships, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 01:38:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 40
Words: 92,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11243652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeadOfSpectre/pseuds/HeadOfSpectre
Summary: A self made Jedi, a skilled Doctor, an Ace Pilot, a devoted Soldier, and a runaway Princess set out across the Galaxy to seek out and destroy the Godlike Tapu who rule the Galaxy, with the powerful Aether Empire at their back. However what begins as a quest to create a new order, soon turns into one to protect the existing one from the very Empire they served.





	1. Godkiller

**Author's Note:**

> A giant Star Wars/Pokemon crossover fic, starring both OC's and canon characters alike. This is probably the most original thing I'm gonna post here, it's still fanfiction. Most of the OC's used in this fic aren't mine. They belong to the awesome folks in a discord chat. I'm just writing this fic for funsies. There's not gonna be a heck of a lotta shipping in this, but there IS gonna be a lotta violence and later on literally anyone can die.

            There was a dull heartbeat in the Ancient Temple that only the red haired girl in the white robe could hear. Amongst the deathly silence, came an agitated huff of something ancient and unwelcoming. Perhaps it sensed her intent, perhaps it only despised the prospect of a visitor.

            The sand shifted beneath her feet, as she drew closer to the altar. The burning unseen eyes of a God followed her, silently willing her to leave, and when she did not… their owner at last spoke.

 _**“You do not belong here, girl.”**_ A voice snarled, **_“You tread the path of Gods… a path you are not worthy of treading. Be gone from this place. Else I shall crush you beneath my hooves.”_**

The girl did not reply, merely studied the altar before her, much to the ire of the Tapu hidden in the shadows.

    **_“Insolence…”_** It hissed, **_“To disobey the Tapu, is to defy the Galaxy itself… you are not some common fool, are you? No… No, you reek of blood and hatred, Girl…”_** It paused, before chuckling. **_“Did you perhaps come for atonement? To cleanse the blood from your hands? To repent of your sins, and begin anew? You’ll find no mercy from me.”_**

She didn’t reply, nor did she kneel before the altar of Tapu Bulu. Instead, she reached into her robe, and removed a tribal necklace, tossing it at the ancient stone without a word. The Voice of Tapu Bulu fell silent.

    “ ** _Butcher…”_** It finally said, **_“My Priest… slaughtered… By you, no doubt? I smell it now… his blood… I had sensed a disturbance in The Force. So you are what caused it? No matter. Mortals are as replaceable as they are fragile. You serve only to annoy me… but for your insult, you will pay.”_**

Ancient stones shifted behind the altar, heralding a terrifying entity behind it. Tapu Bulu emerged, smaller than she had imagined, and less intimidating… this would be too easy.

            A lightsaber emerged from her sleeve, and the white blade extended.

    **_“A Jedi?”_** Asked Tapu Bulu. **_“A follower of a dead faith… stupid girl… join your kind!”_**

The Tapu’s shell closed around its body, resembling the head of a Bull. The entire temple shook, as the altar rose up against the body of the Godlike Tapu, emerging from the earth and rising up onto two feet.

            Before the girl, now stood a colossal humanoid figure made of stone, and with Tapu Bulu on top, as its head.

            With amazing speed, it brought a fist down to smash her. The girl slashed through it, and with the power of the Force, leapt into the air, landing on the Tapu’s arm. The second hand came down to crush her, and she dashed out of its way, sprinting up its arm towards the head, and the true Tapu.

            From the corner of her eye, she saw the Tapu’s hand reforming. But it barely mattered. She was so close… almost within striking range.

            Her lightsaber slashed off a horn on the Tapu’s shell, before it recoiled, abandoning its stone body to escape her. The stone hand slammed down towards her again, and the girl leapt out of the way, sliding down the arm. She dug her lightsaber into the stone to stop her fall, and watched as Tapu Bulu returned to its post atop the neck.

            The hand came down to smash her again, and the girl leapt straight up, narrowly avoiding it, and landing on the back of its hand, before cutting through it. The Tapu’s hand collapsed to the ground, resting for a moment beneath her, before shifting to reform and rejoin the Tapu’s massive body.

            The girl expected this, however. She let the hand shake her off, before reaching out with The Force and grabbing it. She hurled it at the Tapu’s head, striking it in the stomach, and cracking the stone body. The massive entity staggered backwards, momentarily stunned. The girl made her move, throwing all her strength into one powerful leap, taking her up to the Tapu’s head. She brought her lightsaber down, slashing Tapu Bulu’s shell, and cleaving off a large portion of it, exposing the creature within.

    **_“NO!”_**

In desperation, Tapu Bulu tried to defend itself, but the girl was in the perfect position to strike. She drove her lightsaber into its chest, piercing it fatally, and earning a horrifying screech from the dying God.

   **_“IMPOSSIBLE! I AM A TAPU! I AM A GOD! WHO ARE YOU, TO REVOLT AGAINST ME?”_**

“My name is Florie Lantana.” The girl said coldly. “And your reign is done.”

            The blade of her lightsaber vanished, as the light faded from the Tapu’s eyes. The creature fell backwards off its stone body, while the body itself collapsed. Florie rode it down, unphased by its collapse. Instead, she regarded the corpse of Tapu Bulu with cold eyes.

    “Just a dumb animal.” She said.

 

            Outside, sat her ship, and her astromech droid, J4-Z2. A rather mouthy droid, but she didn’t mind it. They’d kept her ship in working order, which was enough for her. Florie had nicknamed her Jazz.

   “What? Get nervous?” Jazz taunted, “I picked up rumbles in the ground. I’m gonna assume that’s what scared you off.”

    “Tapu Bulu is dead.” Florie replied. “One down, three to go.”

Jazz regarded her with suspicion.

   “You can’t be serious!”

            Florie took something from her robe. The horn she’d cut off Bulu’s shell.

    “Tapu Bulu is dead.” She repeated, before getting on board the ship.

    “Is Missy Flo back?” A somewhat nervous voice called. “Did she survive?”

            Jazz had no clever remark to that, the droid having been shocked into temporary silence by the fact that Florie had actually pulled it off… She’d killed a God. A second droid emerged from the cockpit. A service droid, designated R0-TM, or Rotom as Florie had called him.

    “Missy Flo! You’re alive! I really hope you got out of there okay! I thought I heard fighting!”

   “Not too much.” Florie replied, “I thought a Tapu might put up more of a fight. Send a message to Doctor Carillo. We need to meet.”

            If Rotom could frown, it would, but it didn’t argue, returning to the cockpit to send the message.

    “So what? We just report in as normal?” Jazz asked, “You just killed a _God!_ ”

   “I did, didn’t I?” Florie asked, “Rotom, give Rico the coordinates of the nearest bar, and tell him to meet us there!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Florie is aetherflorie.tumblr.com  
> Jazz is aether-accountant.tumblr.com


	2. Doctor Carillo

Doctor Ricardo Carillo looked out the window of his ship, at the lush landscape unfolding beneath him. Ula, a large and populated planet had a tropical beauty to it, seldom found on most planets. It was a little warmer than most, but had bountiful soil, and clean oceans… perhaps why Tapu Bulu had chosen it for its home.

    “Doctor Carillo, sir!” A voice called, belonging to a rather deliciously handsome man with pink and green dyed hair. A white Aether Uniform obscured any view beyond his handsomely chiseled features and boyish smile.

   “We’re approaching our landing destination!”

   “Oh, _Grazie,_ Zenith!” Rico said, “Tell Zero to set her down gently, and she’s been doing a magnificent job so far!”      

Zenith was gone moments later, and Rico lingered for a moment before following, a wrapped sucker waiting in his fingers. He tore the plastic off, and popped it into his mouth, before going up to the bridge.

            Zenith was retrieving some crowd control weaponry, a security measure both he and Rico hoped he wouldn’t need to use, while behind the wheel sat an unusual looking girl, with dark skin and two sets of eyes. Clearly not human, but not too far from human either.

   “How’s she handling?” Rico asked, leaning against her seat.

   “Very well, Papa!” The girl replied, only briefly glancing back at him to grin. She was in the process of bringing the ship down, and doing it perfectly. Rico was positive she’d be able to fly this ship through deep space without him in no time! Most people didn’t comment on her unusual appearance. Unusual creatures were seen all the time out in the galaxy. Zero was a little rarer than most. Rico wasn’t entirely certain on her origins… but he’d taken her in. She was as much his daughter as anything ever could be.

   “Take her down slow.” Rico said, smiling back at her, and retreated to speak with Zenith once more.

   “Any more word from Florie?” Rico asked. Zenith simply shook his head.

    “Nope. I’d imagine she’s waiting for us. Might be best to keep your head down, Doc. Do you want me to come with you?”

    “With that?” Rico gestured to the gun in his hand. “You’ll rile up the locals. I’d imagine they’ll be very upset once they learn what became of the Tapu. Best not to arouse suspicion.” He paused, his smile fading. “Any news on our other guest?” His voice lowered, as if he was afraid someone might hear.

   “Sleeping, in the back.” Zenith replied, “Should I…?”

   “No, no. Leave her be. It’s too dangerous to let her jump ship here, and I don’t believe this is her stop anyways.” He shook his head, “I’ll bring Zero. You keep an eye on the ship.”

    “Whatever you say, Doc.”

   “Just Rico, will be fine, Private Clay.” His tone was teasing, and he winked playfully at the soldier, before going to sit in the co-pilots seat, just in case Zero needed the help. She didn’t.

   
  


            Florie sat at the bar, unsure how many drinks she’d had. But really, she didn’t care. She felt fine. She listened to a radio from off planet, broadcasting news in a language she didn’t understand. The people here were oblivious to the death of their Tapu… that would change eventually. By then, she figured she’d be far away from them, and the sweltering heat of this planet.

    “ _Ciao, Bella_!” Rico’s voice said from nearby, and he pulled up a seat close by. Zero took a seat beside him.

  “What’s the word here for ‘Sambuca’?” He asked.

   “Don’t think they have one.” Florie replied, looking over at him. “You got here fast.”

   “Well, Admiral Faba was waiting eagerly for you to contact us.” He leaned in, “I suppose he expected you to have something very interesting to report.”

   “I do.” Florie confirmed, and Rico’s eyes widened.

   “No! Did you really? _Veramente_!”

   “ _Veramente_.” Florie replied, showing Rico the piece of shell under her coat. Rico suppressed his urge to whistle, and felt Zero trying to peek over his shoulder.

   “I didn’t think they could be killed…” He said.

   “It was easier than I expected it to be.” Florie replied, slipping the shell piece back into her coat. “That sword you made works wonders.”

    “Not a sword, _bella_. A lightsaber. They haven’t made such things in… ah… too long, I suspect. I never thought such a weapon could slay a Tapu!”

   “Well, congratulations. You now know how to do it.” Florie glanced over her shoulder. “We shouldn’t stay too long. Did Faba say where the next Tapu was located?”

   “ _Si_ , as a matter of fact.” Rico said, “Mele. A fair distance away, but an occupied planet, much like this one. We’ve been warned to tread lightly.”

   “We?” Florie asked, “Since when is there a ‘we’?”

   “Since today. I was told to be your escort. Faba’s orders. I heard them straight from his mouth.”

   “I don’t need an escort!” Florie protested, “I’ve got a ship!”

   “One small ship.” Rico replied, “And you’re going off on a mission to kill Gods… you’re a little underequipped, don’t you think?”

   “I’ve killed one, how difficult could the other three be?”

  “Very, once word gets around. You killed a Tapu that underestimated you. How long have you been training, Florie? Years? It took you years to be ready to kill one that was off guard.”

            She pursed her lips.

   “What makes you think it was off guard?”

            Rico scoffed, but Zero answered the question.

   “If I were a Tapu, and I saw someone like you walking up to me, I wouldn’t expect much… but if I knew…”

   “Word travels far faster than ships in this galaxy.” Rico agreed, “Even amongst Gods, I’m sure.”

            Florie had no comment to that, only staring at Rico and Zero, before sighing.

   “Fine. I’ll take your ship. What do I do with mine?”

   “Leave it. They’ll identify you as the killer eventually.” Rico said, “Abandoning it will make you harder to follow.” He paused, “Where are the droids, I wonder? Did Jazz finally go too far and wind up in a scrap heap? If I must put her back together again, I’ll surely lose my mind.”

   “They’re with the ship.” She replied. “We’ll need to collect them.”

   “Do it quickly.” Rico said, “We leave as soon as we can. I don’t want to be here when the people realize that they’re short a God.”

            Florie couldn’t have agreed more.

   
  


            Rico’s ship was larger than Flories had been, to say the least, although Jazz had a few complaints about the relocation.

    “Why the hell would we scrap a perfectly good ship? Do we really need the help? Clearly we can handle this ourselves!”

    “Pipe down, would ya?” Rotom replied, as they boarded. The droid was already examining the ships hardware. “Missy Flo could use the help.”

            Florie herself was a little skeptical of that, but said nothing for the moment. She did appreciate not having such a cramped ship, and some company, at least.

    “Doctor Carillo, is that you?” Zenith called, emerging from the cockpit.

    “ _Si_ , Zenith. How’s my ship looking?”

   “Ready for takeoff, Doc.” Zenith said, eyes settling on Florie. “You must be Ms. Lantana, yeah?” He asked, stepping closer to her, and offering a hand. “Zenith Clay. I’m the good Doctors security.”

   “Security?” Florie asked, glancing at Rico. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Zero going into the bridge, and preparing for takeoff.  
   “You never know when you’ll need it.” The Scientist said. “Besides, I thought you might appreciate the help.”

            Florie merely nodded in response, glancing briefly at

   “Rotom.” She said, “Go help Zero in the cockpit.”

   “Aye aye, Missy Flo.” The droid said, taking off to do as told.

            The ship came to life soon after, rising into the sky and taking off, leaving Ula behind them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rico is komala-scientist.tumblr.com  
> Zero is ub-zero.tumblr.com  
> Zenith is aetheremployeezenith.tumblr.com


	3. Princess

As Rotom took over maintaining the cockpit, Rico prepared a modest supper for those on board. Zero ate ravenously, as she often did, while Zenith grilled Florie on the Tapu, egging her into recounting the story of how she’d slain it, something she didn’t need much goading to do. There was a certain awe he felt for her, and a particular pride she felt. Alone, she had accomplished what no one could ever have dreamed of… and her quest was only just beginning.

            Ricardo admired them thoughtfully, picking at his salad, and glancing down a hallway, before gathering up the used plates of everyone except Zero, along with the leftovers. The dirty dishes were put into the dishwasher, and after taking a glance back to the others to make sure he wasn’t being watched, he prepared another plate, and made his way out of the ships galley, and to a small room near the back.

            He knocked twice, before the door opened, leading into a brightly lit, but small cabin.

    “I brought you something to eat, Princess.”

    “I’d prefer you not call me that.” Said the room’s sole occupant, a young girl, no older than eleven or twelve.

    “Ah, _scusate._ Lillie.” Rico corrected himself, “Either way, you should eat.”

    “I thought you were going to try and introduce me over dinner?” Lillie asked, looking back up from the book she’d been reading.

    “Such was the plan but…” He paused, “Give me more time to speak with Florie… I want to be sure she won’t react badly to your being here. You understand, simply having you with us, stands to put me in a lot of trouble, _si_?”

   “Yes, Doctor Carillo… But it’s wrong to lie to her!”

   “I haven’t lied, I simply neglected to share a truth. It would be wrong to have to turn around and deliver you back to your Mother.” Rico countered, “One takes the lesser of two evils.”

            Lillie pouted, before her eyes widened.

    “What else have you been keeping from me, Doctor?” Florie’s voice asked, from behind him. The poor man nearly cracked a vertebrae spinning around.

   “Ah! _Signora_ Lantana!” He cried,

   “This ships not as big as you think it is, Rico. I could hear you from down the hall.” Florie said, peering past him. “Princess Lillie… Rico, why is Princess Lillie hiding on board your ship?”

            Rico stumbled over his words, and spotted Zenith standing helplessly at the end of the hall, having been unable to stop Florie from investigating. Zero had only briefly stopped eating, to ensure that no one was in any danger, before deciding that everything was fine. Florie didn’t seem likely to go on the offensive to her.

    “I asked him to take me.” Lillie said, getting up from her seat. “He’s only doing what I told him to.”

    “I don’t suppose The Empress knows about this, does she?” Florie asked, and Rico slowly shook his head.

    “My Mother won’t assume I’m here.” Lillie said, “An Aether ship, on a mission? Seems like a bad place for a runaway, doesn’t it? Besides, Doctor Carillo promised to take me somewhere I need to go. I won’t get in your way.”

    “So what, we’re dropping her off?” Florie asked.

    “Not exactly.” Rico confessed, finally getting a handle on his words. “It seems we share a destination for the time being. I was going to leave the briefing until after we’d all rested, but I suppose I’d best explain things now.” He gestured for Florie and Lillie to follow him, and led them all back to the galley.

            Zenith sat down once more, and Rico left the plate of food he’d absently been holding in front of an empty spot he’d reserved for Lillie.

    “Jazz!” Rico called, summoning the droid from elsewhere on the ship. She regarded Lillie with curiosity, but not recognition, before Rico commanded her attention again.

    “Bring up the ships navigational display. Show Mele.”

    “Whatever you say, Doc…” Jazz murmured, moving to a wall outlet, and plugging in. A holographic display above the table, soon came to life, showing a single planet.

    “This is our next destination.” Rico explained, “Mele, a planet in the next system. A very old planet, at that. Our topographical scans indicate that there is a temple matching the one you located on Ula. The locals seem to believe it houses another Tapu. Tapu Koko.”

     “So there’s my target.” Florie noted, before looking over at Lillie. “Why do you want to go there?”

    “That’s my business.” Lillie replied, locking eyes with her. For such a young girl, a certain determination seemed to radiate from her. Neither Rico, nor Zenith had anything to add to what Lillie said, although Zenith did speak up.

     “Lillie helped us do a bit of research into the area first.” He said. “From the sound of it, things are gonna be a little more complicated than they were on Ula. There’s a bit of a skirmish going on, on the ground. A faction of rebels, calling themselves the Skull broke off from the main civilization in charge of the area. Apparently, they share our goals.”

     “Kill the Tapu.” Rico finished, and Zenith nodded in agreement. Lillie quietly pursed her lips.

     “Then we should make contact with them, right?” Florie asked.

    “Way ahead of you.” Zenith assured her, “I’ve already secured an audience with Guzma, the guy running the show down there. He’ll be waiting for us.”

    “Excellent, and what about our runaway Princess?” Florie looked over at Lillie.

     “Like I said before, I’ll stay out of your way.” The girl repeated.

    “If there’s some kind of civil war going on down there, maybe you shouldn’t be there at all.”

    “Maybe.” Lillie agreed, “But I have to. My reasons are my own.”

    “No good arguing with her.” Zenith sighed, “I’ve already failed.”

            Lillie seemed a little proud of that.  

    “Like it or not, we’re in this together.” Rico said, “Unless you want to give Empress Lusamine a shout, and get us all killed before we can get to work.”

   “If the Princess thinks she knows what she’s doing, it’s not my job to stop her.” Florie said, “I’m just here to kill a Tapu.”

            As she said that, Florie felt Lillie’s eyes boring into her, intent, yet calm.

  


            Rico had fixed himself and Florie a drink afterwards, as they sat in his cabin. Rico’s living space was almost unreasonably immaculate, and sealed off from the rest of the ship with a plastic airlock.

    “Thank you for taking that as well as you did… I’m sure you can understand, I’m a little reluctant to trust anyone too much, given what’s on the line.”

     “I just hope you know what you’re doing.” Florie replied, taking a sip of vodka. Rico had dissolved some gummy wookies inside, giving the drink a sweeter flavor.

    “My dear Florie, when have I ever known what I am doing?” He teased, although her expression remained stoic.

    “It’s not a secret, Empress Lusamine is not the kindest of Mothers…” Rico said, “I got the impression this ‘mission’ of hers was just her excuse. Her way of trying to get away from her.”

            Florie nodded.

    “I’ve heard the rumors. Back on Ula, they called her ‘The Mad Queen’.”

    “Were that they were but rumors.” Rico sighed, “Aether is at an uncertain point… History is at an uncertain point. The Jedi die out, and so many are left scrambling to fill the vacuum. Aether, among countless others, in countless other systems…”

            Florie took out her lightsaber, examining it.

    “The Jedi aren’t completely gone…” She noted.

   “Are you referring to yourself, _mio caro_? I don’t mean to be rude, but a lightsaber and some force tricks, does not a Jedi make.”

   “It was enough to kill a Tapu.” She reminded him.

   “Yes, well if the Jedi could fall. Perhaps the Tapu are not what the people think they are. Perhaps Skull and Aether both have a point, wanting to destroy them. Cast down False Gods, and instill… what, I wonder?”

    “Why not just cast them down entirely? Why replace them?” She asked, “Wouldn’t that be a better world? No Gods, no Masters?”

    “There will always be Gods. Whether they are divine or not.” Rico said, sipping his drink, “Empress Lusamine says that once the Tapus are done away with… there’ll be New Gods. She says she’ll summon them herself… I wonder what they’ll be like.”   

   “Mortal.” Florie replied. “Just like the Tapu.”

    “You really think so?” Rico asked, “Well… perhaps you’re right. Zenith isn’t too sure of them either, and Zero… well, she hasn’t said much. But I think I already know how she feels. She’s afraid.”

   “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Florie said, “Just a bunch of lies.”

   “ _Forse._ ” Rico shrugged. “We shall see, won’t we?”

He got up from his seat, and polished off his vodka.

    “We should arrive at Mele soon. Your Rotom tells me we’ll be exiting light speed by morning. You should get your rest.”

            Florie stood as well, her glass emptied.

    “Right. They say Tapu Koko is the Tapu of Conflict. I wonder if he’ll be any tougher than the Tapu of Abundance.”

            She bid Rico goodnight, and went to her own quarters, to drink some more, and finally sleep.

 


	4. Skull

           Zero had no complaints about getting some extra rest while Rotom brought the ship into orbit, and let Jazz handle the comms, hailing down below, to ensure they could safely come in for a landing.

            At Zenith’s request, both he and Florie prepared for a hot landing. Mele was a warzone after all, currently defined by conflict between the reigning Kahuna, Lord Hala, and the Skulls.

    “Skies are clear.” Jazz announced through the intercom. “These morons are gonna let us land!”

    “I don’t think you should be insulting them.” Rotom replied, “What if they can still hear you?”

    “You must think my wires are crossed! Call. Terminated. Do you see that display? I thought you were a _smart_ AI.”

            Though Rotom was silent, there was a sense of resentment in the crackling static of the intercom, before the ship started its descent.

            Zenith saw Zero make her way to the cockpit to help guide the ship down, and glanced back at Florie. She was lightly armed for their descent. Plain but weak armor beneath her cloak, and no helmet covering up her flowing red locks. Her lightsaber rested at her hip, as her only weapon.

   “You sure that’s safe?” Zenith asked, gesturing to it.

   “I know how to use it.” She replied, a little defensively.

   “That’s not what I’m talking about. You’ve only got the one weapon. You should carry a sidearm or two.”

            He undid one of his hip holsters, and offered it to her. Florie reluctantly accepted it. No point in arguing or rejecting his kindness.

   “You know how to use that, right?”

   “I’ve used one before, yeah.” Florie hooked the holster into her belt, and drew the blaster, checking its battery.

   “Got any extra ammo?”

    “Oh! Um, yeah! Sure!” Zenith took a couple of spare batteries from the small armory he’d set up, and passed them to her, before he replaced the blaster he’d given to Florie. The ship rocked beneath their feet as they entered the atmosphere.

   “So, this guy, Guzma. What do you know about him?” Florie asked.

   “Just enough.” Zenith confessed, “He’s an anarchist. Aether’s been funding and supplying him under the table, hoping he’ll kill the Tapu. Hasn’t worked out so far. Lord Hala, the Kahuna, he’s a fanatic. Dedicated to protecting the Tapu, and dedicated to wiping out the Skulls for even daring to oppose it in the first place. Probably best if we avoid him.”

   “I avoided the Kahuna of Ula.” Florie replied, “Some old man, Nanu, I think. I’d be surprised if he’s even found the Tapu yet.”

    “Don’t underestimate Nanu.” Rico said, his voice coming from the intercom. “You were wise to avoid him. Let’s just pray he doesn’t decide to come after us, for what you did.”

   “Noted.” Florie replied, before noticing Lillie watching her from the end of a nearby hallway.

   “Are you coming too?” She asked, and the girl didn’t respond. Instead, she asked her own question.

    “You killed Tapu Bulu, didn’t you?”

Florie nodded.

   “I did.”

            Lillie grimaced, as if she’d tasted something disgusting.

   “Don’t rush in against Tapu Koko. Its temple is well hidden, and heavily guarded. If you move too quickly, you’ll get yourself killed.”

    “How would you know?”

   “I’ve done my research… I figured you would have too.” Lillie raised an eyebrow. “Just… take your time.”

    “ETA, one minute.” Rotom said over the intercom. “Landing zone clear!”

            Zenith checked the battery on his rifle, before getting ready to hit the dirt. Lillie turned and left without a further word, leaving Florie staring at the spot where she’d been, as the ship came down.

            The landing was gentle, and as the landing ramp deployed, Rotom and Rico left them with some words of encouragement.  
    “Be careful, Missy Flo! Could be real dangerous!”

    “Stay safe out there! Zenith, radio in if you need evac!”

    “Understood.” Zenith replied, “Safe flying, Doc! And hey, Zero! Nice landing! Don’t get on the good Doctors nerves too much!”

            Zero giggled.

    “When do I ever?”

            Florie even cracked a half smile, before looking back to where Lillie had been, before going down the ramp, and stepping onto the rocky terrain of Mele.

 

            Ula had been hot and humid. Perfect for life, but Mele seemed almost like the complete opposite. The landscape was rocky and unforgiving. The wind seemed fairly strong, although the air felt fine. Little bits of grass poked out from between cracked stone, and though the sky seemed calm, she spotted the occasional lightning flash off in the distance.

    “Lovely…” She murmured, glancing back at Rico’s ship, as the ramp pulled back up. Moments later, the ship was gone.

            Zenith took out a small compass, and frowned.

    “Magnetism here is fucked. Can’t get a solid reading…” He murmured, before putting it away.

   “What direction should we be headed?” Florie asked.

  “West. There’s a Skull camp there. Hidden in the rocks. They’re expecting us. I should have a map on here…” Zenith fumbled with a device on his belt, while Florie closed her eyes.

   “I sense a presence.” She said, “A gathering of people…” She opened her eyes. “Left, we should see smoke rising in the horizon, once we’re past some of those rocks.”

   “Hm?” Zenith raised his head, “How do you know?”

   “Just trust me. There are people over there.” Florie assured him, although Zenith kept tampering with the device on his belt, finally getting it to work. He stared at the screen, before looking back up at her, and hooking it back to his belt.

   “Well I’ll be damned… Lemme guess, ‘The Force’, right?”

    “Something like that.”

            Florie took off in the direction she’d indicated, followed closely by Zenith.

    “Y’know. I’d heard that all the Jedi died off. Never thought I’d really get to meet one.”

    “I’m not a Jedi.” Florie replied, “Not really… My Mother was. She taught me a little bit. How to use the Force, how to control it. Rico built me the lightsaber.”

    “Thought Jedi passed their lightsabers down or something.” Zenith said.

   “I wouldn’t know. She never talked much about the Jedi Order. She was an exile… conjugal relations were…well, forbidden. I never knew my Father. She kept his identity secret. Took it to the grave with her.”

            Zenith paused.

    “I’m sorry for your loss… the purge?”

    “Would you believe that it wasn’t?” Florie said, “We lived on Akala for a while. She seemed happy for a while. Healthy. Then one day. I woke up, and she didn’t. Happens on Akala sometimes. Something to do with the weather, they say.” She sounded as if she didn’t fully believe that. Zenith knew why.

            Akala was said to be the resting place of another Tapu. The insectoid Tapu Lele. Legends claimed the Tapu all possessed mastery over different elements. Bulu, was said to control the plants and soil. Koko, said to control the lightning, Fini said to control the water, and Lele said to influence the mind. Although to what extent, was often debated. Some claimed Tapu Lele was a healer. Others, argued that she was a killer. Crueler than even the most wicked entities in the galaxy. They said the scales she shed could give life, or take it away. Zenith wondered if Florie knew those legends too.

            As they drew closer to the rocks Florie had mentioned, Zenith noticed pillars of smoke rising up into the sky. A little further, and they could both spot a compound of some sort, just ahead in the distance, and built into an ancient temple, already carved into a massive cliff.

    “That must be it.” Zenith murmured, and took another step forward. The instant he did, a blaster went off. The bolt struck the ground in front of him.

   “Not one more step!” A voice snarled.

            A figure had arisen from a hiding spot in the rocky terrain behind them. A boy with tattered clothes, and his face obscured by a large skull mask.

            Several other nearly identical figures crawled from the rocks, blasters at ready, and aimed for them. Among them, strode a single tall, confident individual. They were distinct amongst their peers, by twin braids of pink and yellow that trailed out from behind their mask. Clearly, they were the leader.

     “We get few visitors in these parts.” They said. “Fewer from Aether… interesting… what’s your business here?”

     “We’re here to help!” Zenith said, voice calm despite the number of weapons aimed at him.

     “Help?” The figure before him asked, and chuckled. “We don’t need the help of outsiders. We don’t rely on anything more than our own blood, our own sweat…” They extended their arms. “This is our planet! Our home! Not yours… why would you want to help?”

    “Mutual interests.” Florie chimed in, reaching into her cloak. The Skull soldiers steadied their weapons, as she did, and their leader glared at her.

    “Think before you make your next move, girl… if you take something out, you’d best be prepared to use it.”

    “I am.” Florie assured her, before removing the piece of shell from her belt. “I have a piece of Tapu Bulu’s shell. I carved it off it, before I killed it.”

            The Skull soldiers shifted. A murmur passed through them, save for the one who’d initially confronted them, and their Leader, who gingerly took the piece of shell from Florie’s hand.

    “Curious…” They mused, “You come here, claiming to be a Godkiller… curious…” They looked at her, eyes staring her down from behind their mask.

    “Why should I believe this is what you say it is? What other proof do you have?”

    “What other proof do you need?” Zenith asked.

    “Lies are easy to tell.” The figure replied, tracing their finger along the edge of the shell. “You don’t look like Godkillers… what weapon did this? This is a clean cut…”

            Florie shifted her cloak, revealing the lightsaber at her side. The blasters of the Skull soldiers steadied, ready to fire, but their leader raised a hand, indicating for them to wait.

    “Of course…” They mused, before chuckling. “You must forgive our… caution, when seeing a weapon like that. It’s not the first we’ve seen. The Tapu’s guardians use them too. They fancy themselves Jedi Knights of old… tell me, are you a Jedi?”

    “I’m just someone who wants to fix the established order.” She replied, “My name is Florie. This is Zenith. We came here looking for Skull.”

            The figure regarded them both quietly, before reaching up, to remove their mask. Behind it was a woman with dark skin and a harsh expression. When she smiled, there was both kindness, and an unspoken threat in the gesture.

    “You’ve found us.” She said. “I’m Plumeria, Guzma’s second in command. He said we should be expecting some people from Aether… but we had to be sure…”

     “Given the circumstances, you’ve gotta cover your ass.” Zenith said.

     “Exactly. Follow me. Guzma’s waiting for you. Gladion!” She gestured to the soldier who’d initially confronted them. He’d removed his mask as well, and Zenith did a double take as he caught a look at his face.

            The boy had a hardened expression, and messy blonde hair… but there was no mistaking him. He shared a few features with Lillie.

    “Escort myself and our guests back to camp. The rest of you, keep to your posts. There’s no telling if our friends arrival was noticed or not… but best to keep our eyes peeled.”

            Gladion wordlessly shoved past Zenith, and made his way towards the distant encampment, with Plumeria and Florie behind him, Zenith remained rooted to the spot for a few moments, before finally following.


	5. Nyx

The capital city of Mele, Hau'oli, differed from the sprawling metropolises Rico was used to, and yet it shared so much with them. The buildings were more adapted to the rocky climate, shaped of stone and towering high. There were floating docks on the edge of an endless sea to the east, and painstakingly cultivated farmland, fields of green maintained against the unforgiving sand and rock of the planets surface. Hau'oli seemed to be some sort of bizarre testament to the tenacity of human life, even amongst the harsh conditions of such a planet.

            Zero brought the ship in for its landing personally, and accompanied Rico as he dismounted. Jazz and Rotom remained on the ship.

            As Rico took in the breathtaking skyline, he noticed Lillie passing him on the off-ramp.

    “You’re not going to wander far, I hope.” He said, catching her attention. The runaway Princess paused, and looked up at him.

    “No, not too far. Just looking around.” She assured him, the slightest hint of irritation in her voice.

    “Be wise to stay close. Cities like this are easy to get lost in.”

Lillie gave no response, only shifted to the side to allow Zero down the ramp.

   “Papa, I’m gonna go fill up the ships tank.” She said, “We could use the extra fuel for a speedy getaway.”

   “ _Si, si…_ But don’t take too long, we’re a little low on food for our guests, so you’ll know where to find me. Just follow your nose.” He smiled and affectionately tapped Zero on the nose, earning a giggle from her.

            Unseen by either of them, Lillie cracked a small, somewhat envious smile.

   “I won’t take long, Papa!” Zero promised, before bounding off to ensure the ship was taken care of properly. Lillie watched her go, oblivious as Rico took her hand, and gently led her into the city.

           

            The two of them were quietly taken in by the sights and sounds around them. Rico himself quite liked culture, although Hau'oli could have served to be a little cleaner. He’d been sure to wear gloves as he handled anything, examining food to buy at the market, and hefting the bags around. Lillie remained close to him for the time being, and quiet, save for the occasional bout of small talk. She found herself mostly just looking around, scanning the crowds, the streets, everywhere, as if she was looking for something.

            At a stand, picking up some fresh meat to keep on the ship, Rico noticed Zero approaching from the corner of his eye.

   “Everything’s good to go!” She informed him, “Well… with the ship, anyways.”

   “We’ll be fully stocked soon enough.” Rico assured her, handing off some of the bags of already purchased product to her.

    “Are we staying on the ground long?” She asked, a little eagerly.

   “Haven’t decided yet.” Rico confessed, “I suppose we’ll make that call when Zenith and Florie radio in… you do have your comms open, _si?_ ”

   “Comms?” Zero nodded, unhooking a small device from her belt. “Right here. But they’ve been silent. Shouldn’t they have made contact with Skull by now?”

   “They should have, but I don’t think they’ll contact us until there is something worth saying. Have some patience. We’ve got time to shop, time to relax…” He paused, “Time to sample the local cuisine…”

   “I did see a few places on the way over…” Zero noted, implying hunger in her tone.

   “Well, we’ll see them again on the way back.” Rico said, before his smile suddenly faded.

            A short distance behind Zero, he saw a figure. They weren’t looking at him. In all likelihood, they hadn’t noticed him yet at all… that was a blessing.

            The woman he saw had dark skin, and purple hair. Her features possessed a classical beauty to them, with full lips and piercing green eyes, along with a physique that conveyed power, the same way it conveyed beauty. She wore a white Aether coat, with a warm purple sweater underneath. On her belt, Rico could see two sheathed blades. As she surveyed the offerings of the market, she tapped a pen lightly against her chin.

    “Papa?” Zero was looking at the woman now too, as was Lillie, who remained as silent as ever.

   “Zero, take Lillie to the ship. Go immediately.” Rico said calmly and quietly.

   “Papa?” Zero asked again, and was greeted by an unusually stern look from Ricardo.

   “Take Lillie to the ship. Keep her on board until I come for you.”

            His tone said everything that needed to be said. It conveyed the urgency of this moment perfectly. Zero quietly ushered Lillie away, glancing at the woman once more. Lillie put up no resistance. She wanted to be gone as much as Rico did. She knew this woman. She knew her significance.

            With those two hidden, Rico chose to make his move. He drew closer to the woman, and called out to her.

    “Lady Nyx! _Signora,_ it has been too long!”

            He must have caught her off guard, since Rico saw her shoulders tense in just the slightest way, and the tapping of her pen stopped although there was recognition in her eyes when she saw him.

    “Doctor Carillo. So nice to see you again.” She offered him a brisk handshake. “I didn’t expect to see any other members of Aether here…” She trailed off, eyes hardening, as if asking for an explanation.

   “Ah, I came with a few comrades.” Rico said, “We’re making the final preparations for Project Ultra. In fact… our Contractor, Miss Florie, is meeting with the locals as we speak.”

   “Excellent. I’m sure Empress Lusamine would be pleased to hear that. Have there been any successes in that field lately?”

   “ _In realtà,_ there have. We’ve come from Ula. I can confirm that we are down to _tre_ targets.”

            A small smile crossed Nyx’s lips.

    “Empress Lusamine would be very pleased to hear that… I’ll be mentioning this in my next report to her.”  
   “Be so kind as to mention my name.” Rico said, before asking, “What brings you out this way? I wouldn’t see much purpose in the Empress’ personal Knight being so far out here.”

   “Normally, you’d be right…” Nyx admitted, “You remember Gladion, correct?”

            The Empress’ eldest son. He’d disappeared over a year prior.

   “ _Si.”_ Rico said, somewhat timidly.

   “Seems he’s fallen in with the local insurgents. Skull… I’ve made a deal with Lord Hala to retrieve him, in exchange for ‘aid’ from Aether.” She huffed, “I admit… I’ve dealt a little dishonestly during my time here… but they suspect nothing of our true goals. A word to the wise… you and Florie should keep your heads down. I like you, Doctor Carillo. But take care not to compromise my operations here. I do not want to have to punish you.”

            Rico forced a smile.

    “There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll be staying out of your way.”

            Nyx’s smile seemed more genuine, before it faded away.

    “Excellent. Well, it has been lovely catching up with you, Doctor. But I should be going, and I’m sure you have work to do.”

            Rico nodded hastily and uttered a quick goodbye before leaving. Though Nyx had said nothing about Lillie, Rico had chosen not to ask about her. It may have seemed suspicious. He didn’t want to assume her so focused on her current mission, that she’d heard nothing of Lillie’s recent disappearance, nor did he want to make it seem as if he knew anything he shouldn’t have.

            He kept a brisk pace towards the shipyard, and as he drew closer, he spotted Zero on the street, alone. He quickly approached her and seized her by the arm.

    “You should be on the ship.” He scolded, not too harshly, but enough to make his point.

    “She ran, Papa!” Zero said, and Rico paused.

     “Lillie?”

    “We were on our way back to the ship, and she suddenly ran off! I tried to catch her but…”

    “Cazzo… It’s alright, Zero. You tried.” He sighed in frustration, before hopelessly scanning the crowd.

    “Papa, should we…”

    “No… I imagine she was planning on fleeing from the start. I can only imagine where she’s headed.” He looked at Zero now.

    “Nyx told me Gladion may be on this planet. She must’ve known… must’ve been in contact…”

   “Then she’s looking for him! Papa, we could…”

   “No. We’ll hold our ground for now.” Rico said. “We’ll never find her in this city. If she wishes, she’ll come back to us. You still have your comm, _si_?

            Zero unhooked it from her belt, and offered it to him.

   “ _Si_ , Papa.”

   “Good girl.” Rico took it, and pressed the button, before calling out for Zenith. There was nothing but static on the other end, and he tried again, to no avail.

    “Might be the atmosphere.” Zero suggested, frowning, “Could they have tried to radio in to us, and gotten the same problem, maybe?”

     “Perhaps…” Rico sighed, “We should have anticipated this and done the comms check on the planet itself… unless we’re simply out of range.”

    “I’ll check the comms on the ship.” Zero said, turning to leave, and Rico nodded at her as she did, silently hoping that Nyx’s presence wouldn’t be something to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx is aetherpoison.tumblr.com


	6. Guzma

              Skulls command center looked makeshift. Built into the center of an abandoned temple, it looked hastily cobbled together from some whatever technology and weapons they could find. A few Skull soldiers kept busy on some of the nearby computers, monitoring the surrounding area and atmosphere.

               With Gladion at her side, Plumeria led Zenith and Florie towards a commanding chair, near the center of the room, where a man sat waiting. He had a tough, masculine physique, masked by his loose fitting clothes. His hair was white and wild, and his facial features chiseled, but not quite handsome. A set of misshapen and scratched goggles sat atop his head.

    “What’s this, huh, Plumes?” He asked, as they drew closer. He rose up from his chair, and met them a few feet away.

    “Guests from Aether.” Plumeria replied, “With something to show you.”

    “Well, well… it’s about time our friends in White lent us a proper hand. Names Guzma. I’m the one running the show… the hated boss that beats you down, and beats you down, and never lets you up…” He flashed a wolfish grin.

               Zenith half wanted to go for the blaster in his belt, but restrained himself. Guzma seemed anything but trustworthy… but this was the man they had come so far to see.

    “I’m Florie, this is Zenith.” Florie said, gesturing to the man as she mentioned his name.

    “Uh huh. And what brings you to this neck of the woods? You actually come to help? Or what?” Guzma asked.

               Plumeria offered the piece of shell Florie had cut from Tapu Bulu, and Guzma took it, considering it for a moment.

    “The fuck is this?” He asked, narrowing his eyes, “Chitin… never seen it’s like before… this ain’t indigenous.” He glanced from Plumeria, to Florie.

    “I cut it off Tapu Bulu.” She said, showing her lightsaber. Guzma’s eyes settled on it, then back on the piece of shell.

    “Interesting… assuming I even believe that…” He scoffed, and handed the piece of shell back to Plumeria. “Who’s to say you didn’t just carve up some snail off planet, huh? Bring it here, and make some claims?”

   “Believe me, or don’t.” Florie replied, “Either way, I’m here to help you kill the Tapu.”

               Guzma huffed in minor approval, before looking at Plumeria.

    “Are you convinced?”

    “She doesn’t have any reason to lie to us.” She replied, “You know Aether’s plans. You know what they want… it fits, doesn’t it?”

     “Yeah. Yeah, maybe it does.” Guzma said. “Not like we’re in much of a position to tell ya to fuck off anyway.”

               He looked over at Gladion, who’d remained silent and at attention as they spoke.

    “What do you think, kid? You’re an insider… you think this is the real deal?” He paused, before asking. “Do you know either of them?”

               Gladion gave both Zenith and Florie a brief once over, before speaking.

    “I might… I think I saw the soldier around, once or twice. I don’t think I’ve seen her, though.”

    “The ship that dropped them off was an Aether one.” Plumeria added, “We watched it fly off towards the city.”

    “Is that so?” Guzma asked, sucking the inside of his cheek as he thought. “Fine… Gladion, go set our new friends up with a place to crash. We’ll chat ‘em up a little later.” He looked over at Plumeria.

    “Plumes, let’s talk.”

               The two left, as Gladion led Florie and Zenith away.

 

               With them gone, Guzma stared quietly at the door for a few moments, before sighing.

    “So, now we’ve got us a 'Godkiller'.” He said, “That enough for you?”

    “Might be.” Plumeria replied, looking over at him. “I wanna see what she’s got, first.”

    “You would.” Guzma said, sitting back down in his chair. “So what? You want some of the boys to rush her? You wanna make it formal? What?”

    “I want to do it myself.” Plumeria replied. “I’ll choose the when and where… leave it to me.”

    “Don’t trust anyone but you, do ya?” Guzma scoffed, despite a smile tugging the edges of his lips.

    “Yo, Boss!” One of the soldiers in the room called out, looking up from a computer screen. “We got another ship entering the atmosphere!”

               Guzma stood up, and approached them.

   “Another Aether one?”

   “Doesn’t look like it.”

               Guzma looked over the soldiers shoulder, studying the outline of the blip on the radar in front of him.

    “Looks like it’s headed for Mele.” The soldier said.

    “Yeah, I can see that… commercial, maybe?”

    “Eyes on the sky.” Plumeria said, “It’s probably nothing… but we need to keep our eyes peeled.” She looked over at another soldier, manning another set of equipment nearby.

   “Any chatter on the comms?”

   “Not much.” They replied. “Atmospheres fucked. Might be a storm coming in. I did hear a relay from the Mele supply team. They said they’re holding tight for another hour or so. Said they saw some little girl following them. It’s probably nothing, but…”

    “No, no they should stay put… better safe.” Plumeria said, before looking at the piece of shell in her hands.

    “Guzma… what if that ship’s from Ula?”

               Guzma took another look at the radar.

    “Seems big enough… might explain why they’re here and headed for Mele. Maybe our friends didn’t make a completely clean getaway. Be an awful big fuckin’ coincidence.”

               He reached into his pocket for a box of cigarettes, and lit one.

    “Let’s get some eyes out there. See whose come knocking. Send a detachment to Mele.”

               Plumeria nodded, and left to carry out Guzma’s orders.

***

               Gladion led the way through a twisting set of hallways beneath the temple Skull had occupied. Florie seemed content to follow for now, but Zenith seemed just a bit uncomfortable.

    “You can just come out and ask, you know.” Gladion said, looking back at him. “I’m not hiding.”

   “Fine, if it’s that easy… what the hell are you doing all the way out here?” Zenith asked.

    “Surviving.” Gladion replied, “I had to get away from Mother… The Empress.” He scoffed in disgust.

    “So to get away, you help further her goals?” Florie asked, “Interesting.”

    “Skull took me in.” Gladion said, “Guzma knows what she’s like… he’s taking the money for his soldiers. War makes for strange bedfellows. He’s not loyal to Aether. That’s why he’s kept his mouth shut.”

    “If the Empress finds out, you know what she’ll do.” Zenith said, “You being here is a security risk…”

   “They’d wipe out Skull as soon as their goals stopped aligning anyways.” Gladion said, before quietly adding, “Not that Guzma knows that… he’s taking the money… but he’s more trusting than he should be…”

    “So what’s your plan then?” Zenith asked, “Run away? Die with them? What?”

    “I’ll figure it out.” Gladion said, before stopping in front of a room. Once, it’d most likely been a mausoleum of some sort. Now it was empty, devoid of old bones and having nothing but a single stone bed with an old mattress on top.

    “This is yours.”

               Florie stepped inside, looking around.

    “It’ll do.” She decided.

    “So where am I? Next door down?” Asked Zenith.

    “This isn’t a fucking hotel. This is for both of you.”

Zenith opened his mouth to say something, to argue, but stopped himself. If there was just one bed, he could sleep on the floor, if need be… wouldn’t be that much of a problem… he hoped.

   “It’s fine.” Florie said, “Thank you for the room.”

   “They’re serving food upstairs, if you’re hungry… It’s not what you’re probably used to, but it’s alright.” Gladion said, “Go bother me or Plumes if you need anything. Guzma’ll probably wanna talk to you later on too. But just sit tight for now.”

               He turned to leave without saying anything more. Zenith would have closed the door to their room if it’d had one.

   “Nice reception.” He murmured.

   “Least they stopped pointing guns at us.” Florie replied, sitting down on the stone bed. It was exactly as uncomfortable as it looked.


	7. The Palace

               The grand palace of Mele, located in the heart of Hau’oli City lived up to its name. Among the cruel rock, it was like a glittering jewel, trimmed with gold that shone like a river through the stone it was carved from. Under the bright grey sky, it seemed almost majestic.

               As Nyx ascended the steps leading to its courtyard, it felt like climbing a mountain, to gaze upon the face of God. But instead of God, at the top, waited an old man, fat from years of decadence, and with a bushy moustache that covered much of his face. He sat upon a throne made of rock and gold, surveying his city, his planet. This was Lord Hala. The ruler of this planet. The sworn protector of Tapu Koko.

               At his side, on a smaller, less luxurious throne sat a boy, no older than twenty, who seemed like a younger version of Hala. Hau, the Planets prince. A chipper boy, with little stomach for war and a firm belief in the possibility of peace. Nyx wasn’t certain if he was wise, or foolish.

               On either side of the royals, stood twins with matching dark hair, and blank expressions. One male, the other female. Nyx had only ever heard them referred to as Sun and Moon. The protectors of Hala and his Grandson, and the Generals of their armies. She’d seen them both in combat, and could testify to their shared ferocity in battle. She’d have preferred not to have to cross blades with either of them. Those blades in question hung near their waists. Lightsabers, like the ones used by the Jedi, although these were mere relics scavenged from the Jedi Temples that had once rested on Mele.

               As she entered the courtyard, Nyx was sure to bow as a gesture of respect to the four before her, and Hala rose to his feet.

    “The Huntress returns… welcome in this courtyard as always.” He said, his voice booming and powerful.

    “You sent for me, Lord Hala?” She spoke with the same respect she’d have conveyed to her Empress, but though she matched the sound, she could not give it the same sincerity.

    “Indeed I did… we have a guest, one I thought you might like to meet. You’re familiar with Ula, correct?”

    “In name, but I’ve never been.” Nyx said, frowning. “Why?”

    “May I present Nanu, Ula’s High Knight, and ruler… he’s granted us an audience today.”

               Hala gestured towards the rear of the courtyard, beside the door where a solemn man stood, glaring at them. He approached, coming up beside Nyx, and studying her face.

    “To what do we owe this honor?” Nyx asked, eyes shifting between the two of them.

    “Yes, to what.” Hala asked knowingly, “Nanu, please… what’s drawn you from your little slice of paradise to our humble planet.”

   “Tapu Bulu is dead.” The words came tonelessly. Like he was reporting on something minor, as opposed to the death of a God.

               Despite this, Hala seemed unphased, as if he’d heard this news before.

    “And pray tell… who could have killed a God?”

   “I do not know her name… but I saw her face. A woman in town. Red hair, white cloak… like the Jedi of old. And her ship…” Nanu looked at Nyx, now.

   “An Aether ship.”

               She knew what this was about.

    “It couldn’t have been one of ours.” Nyx said, “Aether is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of all life forms… why would one of our personel be involved in the death of a Tapu?”

    “I was hoping you could answer that question.” Nanu said, “And maybe while you’re at it, you could tell me why the trail of the ship the killer escaped on ends here.”

               Again, Nyx looked between Nanu and Hala.

    “The ship must have been stolen.” She said, before slipping easily into the lie. “I’ve made no secret that I’ve carried out assassinations for the Empress before… when doing any sort of covert operations, it’s best to cover ones tracks, that includes using ships marked by another organization. What makes you so certain Skull, or some other group wasn’t behind this? There’s no shortage of anarchists in the galaxy.”

               Nanu stared intently at her, but Hala seemed convinced. Or perhaps just relived that he didn’t need to turn on such a valuable ally.

    “So you admit, you’re a liar and a murderer.” Nanu huffed.

    “Peace, Nanu.” Hala said. “Nyx and by extention, Aether has been a friend to us. I’ll take her at her word.”

   “Will you?” Nanu asked, “Fine… but I’ll find the coward who murdered Tapu Bulu, and if I find you in my investigation. I will personally slaughter you.”

               Nyx made no reply to that, staring the man down. He looked away first, and returned to his corner, watching carefully.

   “We will help you in your investigation, Nanu.” Hala promised, “Simply have some patience, that’s all I ask, and we will accommodate you and your Knights to the best of our ability.”

               Nanu made no reply to that, nor any indication that he’d heard.

   “There was something else.” Hala said, descending from his throne to draw closer to Nyx.

   “Aside from the accusations?” She asked, her tone just a little sour.

   “Aside from the questions.” Hala corrected, before looking over at Sun and Moon. “Bring us to our guest. I’m sure she grows weary of waiting for us.”

               Sun and Moon left their posts, walking in perfect sync with each other as they led the way to a door leading out of the courtyard. Hala gestured for both Nyx and Nanu to follow, leaving Hau behind. The boy hardly seemed bothered, watching them go quietly.

    “Some time ago, we sent for additional supplies.” Hala said, “You remember, correct?”

               Nyx nodded.

   “Well, it seems our requests have been answered. This individual came highly recommended. It seems they share our passion for war!”

               He led them into a dimly lit room. A ballroom of sorts, were crates had been set up, along with a table full of weapons on display. Nyx spotted an individual near the end of one of the tables.

               At first, it would’ve been easy to mistake her for a child. She was certainly short. Her black overcoat seemed a few sizes too large for her and hung loosely off her body, with a red symbol painted onto the back of it.

  


  
               Her hair was cropped short, and dyed a teal blue, and she hummed cheerfully as she set about her work.

    “May I introduce our guest.” Hala said, gesturing to her, and the figure looked over their shoulder. Her odd eyes were blue and green, and her smile was manic and unsettling.

   “Well, well… took you long enough… and you even brought guests. Well, now I guess the fuckin’ pressures REALLY on to perform!”

               She chuckled, before leaning against the table she’d set herself near.

    “Who have we got here… Your Lordship… honored, as always…” Her eyes settled on Sun and Moon.

   “A pair of sibling warriors. Well! This is something. I’ve got a little something special for the two of you lil Asskickers. We’ll get to that in a moment, but you’re gonna fucking love it!”

               She moved onto Nanu.

   “Two Kings in one day… fuck. Buddy, you look like you just watched someone take a shit right in your breakfast… I’ve never seen anyone so miserable in my life! Holy fuck! I actually feel bad for you! Here…” From her coat, she removed a small blaster.

   “Supercharged rounds… burns through armor and flesh. Little present for ya, on the house! Turn that frown upside down, bucko!” She patted his cheek, and slipped the blaster into his hand, before finally coming to Nyx.

    “Well holy fucking fuck. Nyx Fucking Hyacinth, in the flesh…” Nyx narrowed her eyes.

    “You know me?”

    “Reputation takes you far.” The woman crooned, leaning in closer. “Not as tall as I imagined… well… reality seldom measures up to expectations…”

               Nyx felt her hand creeping onto the hilt of one of her swords, and quickly reached out to grab her wrist.

               The woman winced in pain, before her smile returned.

   “Oh relax, would you? I just wanted to take a peek at those swords of yours… oh come on, come onnnn you HAVE to let me look! Just a little peek…”

               Nyx glanced at Hala, before lightly pushing the woman away, and unsheathing one of her swords.

   “Satisfied?” She asked sourly.

   “Oh, you have no idea… that is a nice fucking sword.” The woman replied, reaching out to touch the blade. Nyx pulled it away.

    “Cut your finger, and you’ll be dead in minutes.” She warned.

   “Neurotoxin, native to… Akala? No… that species of mushroom is an invasive species on Akala… Endor? It’s Endor, isn’t it?”

   “Endors moon.” Nyx corrected. “You could tell?”

   The woman tapped her nose.

    “It’s the smell.” She said, “Mix that with some sand worm venom from the wastes around these parts, you’ll cut your lethality from minutes to seconds. Otherwise… I have nothing to offer you. You can’t improve on perfection.”

               With that said, she sashayed back to her weapons display.

    “Just who are you?” Nanu asked irritably.

   “Who am I?” The woman asked, picking up another blaster. “I am Samantha Marie Garnett… and I have the shit that’s gonna make your lives fucking awesome!”

   “An arms dealer.” Nanu said,

   “If you must be so crass about it, yes.” Samantha sighed, “I consider myself more a… procurer of fine solutions… there’s not many problems that can’t be solved by shooting it in its fucking head.” She shrugged.

    “Six of one, half dozen of the other, right? You wanna win this war, or you wanna get down on your knees and suck some Skull cock, cuz without my shit, that is exactly what is gonna happen, so you’d best let me know you’re on board with everything, Mr. Grouchypants cuz if you wanna suck some cock today, that’s fine by me, I can’t help you. But if you wanna make some motherfuckers shit their pants so hard their guts fucking prolapse in fear, then we can be friends.”

               Nanu grimaced at this foul mouthed woman, and Nyx regarded her with caution. She surveyed her wares, as she led Hala in to seduce him with crass and flowery talk about her goods. She had to admit. The selection of weapons was fairly high end. Powerful blasters, made by reputable organizations. She spotted a few Aether weapons in there… and beside a small, familiar heart shaped locket, one glass jar with some sort of fungal pod inside. She leaned down to look at it, and watched as it sprayed some motes into the air. The jar made them harmless enough, although the motes almost seemed to be alive, swaying hypnotically as if in some effort to escape…

    “Don’t touch that.” Samantha warned, having quietly appeared beside her. “That’s not for sale. Biological weaponry. Still experimental… found ‘em on some abandoned planet. You don’t wanna breathe that shit in.”

    “What does it do?” Nyx asked.

    “Within the span of hours? Rapidly deteriorating health, coughing up blood, convulsions, then finally death of the host, and birth. Simultaneously. There’s a lotta blood, you don’t wanna fuck with this shit.”

               Grimacing, Nyx left the jar and its unusual contents behind, going to join Hala, as he listened to Samantha continued her sales pitch, boasting about her weapons.

   “What a hack…” Nanu said under his breath, and Nyx felt the need to agree with him.

   “I want everything.” Hala said, cutting Samantha off.

   “Everything?” She asked.

   “The weapons, the explosives, the body armor. Everything.” He repeated, and watched as her grin grew wider.

    “Oh we can do that.”

    "See that you do." Hala said, before looking at Sun and Moon. "Outfit them in your best... they'll be accompanying Nanu on a little surveillance of our friends at Skull."  
  
Moons expression was stoic, but Nyx swore she saw Sun's lips curl into a smile, as if he seemed so eager to march towards enemy territory. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Samantha is veiledrenayed
> 
> Yeah there's an Alien Covenant reference in there. Of course there is.


	8. Infiltration

             The Skull supply truck stopped for the last time inside the complex, and Lillie heard the engine die. She’d needed to hide in a box to make sure that the drivers wouldn’t find her when she’d snuck on board. They’d checked, most likely out of suspicion, and delayed their departure until they’d done a thorough inspection. Lillie’s small size had only barely let her escape detection.

               From inside her box, she heard the truck doors open, and the muffled back and forth between the two soldiers who unloaded everything.

_“You hear what they were saying on the radio?”_

_“About what? The other ship?”_

_“Nah, new recruits. Buncha runaways from the city.”_

_“So? We could use ‘em… General Moon’s been takin’ out our patrols and we’ve got Sun breathin’ down our necks.”_

_“Fuck. Don’t even mention that name to me…”_

_“Which? Sun or Moon?”_

_“The first one. Fuckers been camping out in this area lately… he’s up to something…”_

_“You think it’s weapons based?”_

_“Fuck if I know. What I do know, is Guzma better get us the fuck outta here. General Sun creeps me the fuck out… little bastards always smiling. Like that Gun Running chick.”_

_“What? You think Suns creepier than her? You saw what she did to Jake, right?”_

_“With the spores?”_

_“Yeah! I mean… I know he was a spy and all… but that was just… just gross. Even Guzma was freaked out.”_

_“Dude. Don’t ever bring that shit up again. I still have nightmares…”_

Lillie felt her box being picked up, and hefted aside, once she was put down, and heard the voices fading, she poked her head out, and saw both soldiers disappearing into the truck again. She took the chance while she had it, and tilted her box over, before making a run for it, disappearing into the garage the truck had stopped in.

               Time to get to work.

***

               From atop a ridge, Moon surveyed Skulls complex. She used a scope Samantha had generously provided. More high powered than what she was used to, but she liked it.

               Behind her, Nanu waited, staring down at her, and Sun crouched at her side, keeping a lookout.

  “I’m seeing something.” She reported, zooming in on two figures headed out one of the doors. The first was clearly an Aether soldier. His hair was dyed a ridiculous pink and green, but the white uniform was unmistakable. The second was redheaded female, wearing a robe, not unlike what the Jedi wore.

               Moon passed the scope to Sun, who looked through it, studying the two newcomers.

   “They haven’t been here before.” He confirmed.

   “Outsiders then.” Moon mused, before looking up at Nanu, and gesturing for him to join them. He took the scope from Sun, and looked down through it.

    “Is she the one?” Moon asked.

   “Yes… I’d know her anywhere…” Nanu said coldly, tracing Florie through the complex. Stalking her.

    “Too many to engage.” Sun said,

    “This scope comes with a rifle. Be easy to take the shot.” Moon replied.

    “And give away our position?” Sun asked, “Too risky.”

    “We could be done and gone before they even found us!”

               Down below, Florie spoke with one of the Skull soldiers, before turning to go back into the complex. Before she did, she paused, and looked up, staring straight at Nanu. She stood there for a moment, before finally disappearing out of view.

    “Doesn’t matter.” Nanu said, lowering the scope. “She’s gone inside again.”

    “We can wait.” Moon said.  
    “No. I think she sensed us…”

               The twins were silent for a moment.

    “Sensed us?” Sun asked, “With the Force?”

    “Mmhm… She looked straight at me…”

               Again the Twins were silent.

    “Makes sense…” Moon finally said, “Be difficult for the average person to take down a Tapu… but a Jedi…”

    “Might be able to catch one off guard.” Sun finished. “Interesting…” He took the scope from Nanu.

   “Sister, go report to Hala. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

   “You always run recon.” Moon protested, “Let me…”

   “You’re faster. I’m quieter.” Sun said, and Moon pouted briefly, before letting it go.

   “Fine… there looks to be a storm coming in, though. Don’t get caught out in it.”

   “I never do.” Sun promised, and watched as both Moon and Nanu left.

 

***

               Atop one of the lookout towers, Guzma met Plumeria once more. She stood leaning against the stone railing, looking out over the wastes.

   “You turned off our perimeter radar.” Guzma said calmly.

   “You know why.” Plumeria replied, and Guzma could see her staring at a departing speeder in the distance. Its drivers probably suspected they were unnoticed, but Plumeria knew what to look for, and where to look.

    “Remind me again why I humor this…” Guzma sighed.

    “Because you give a damn about him.” Plumeria replied, meeting his eyes. “I’ll enable it again. Don’t worry.”

    “That’s not what I’m worried about.” Guzma sighed, and staring at a certain point in the wastes. He saw movement in the shadows of the setting sun, and studied it until it disappeared.

    “I’ve known you for years, and still I haven’t decided if you’re too cautious, or too trusting…”

    “A girls gotta have her enigma.” She shrugged. “Besides… I’ve already evaluated the situation. This is harmless…”

    “Whatever you say.” Guzma sighed, “I heard you formally challenged our guest. At Dawn, I’m told.”

    “Does word really travel that fast?”

    “Just don’t kill her… or get yourself killed.” He said, “We already buried plenty of good boys and girls… I ain’t gonna bury you too, especially not over a fuckin’ test.”

    “I already told you, Guz. Nobody’s gonna bury me.” Her tone darkened. “It’s a test. Dummy weapons. Relax. I’m supposed to be the cautious one.”

    “Maybe a little of you, rubbed off on me, huh?” Guzma managed a smile, then looked out to where the movement had been a while ago.

     “Maybe a little of me, rubbed off on you…”

     “Maybe.” Plumeria shrugged, “But don’t act like that’s a bad thing… Family’s supposed to share.”

 

***

               Lillie made her way quietly through the halls of the old temple. Occasionally she heard the voices of Skull soldiers, or saw them pass, but she went unnoticed for the most part as she moved from room to room, searching.

               She found him in his own private quarters. Not too different from the one he’d given Florie and Zenith. Gladion sat on the bed, his back to the door, as he cleaned his blaster.

               Wordlessly, Lillie entered, her foot crushing the empty shell of a nut. Gladion tensed up, and looked over his shoulder, eyes widening as he saw who was at the door. In an instant, he was on his feet, and pulling her inside.

   “Lillie!? What are you doing here?”

   “I came for you!” She said, pulling him into a hug. Gladion didn’t return it at first, still shocked at her sudden appearance, but slowly wrapped his arms around her in turn.

    “It’s good to see you again…” She said, her voice soft.

   “Y-yeah… good to see you… how the hell did you get out here? What are you doing? When Mom finds out she’ll…”

    “I know.” Lillie said, “But I had to find you. I had to leave! Mother… she’s… its gotten worse.”

               Gladion grimaced.

    “How bad?” He asked.

    “After you left, she… grieved, in her own way. Took out the anger on me. You know how she does it…”

               He did. Their Mothers wrath left no scars and no bruises. She wouldn’t dare risk marring the beautiful skin of her beloved children. But there were other ways to hurt. Heat, cold, hunger, isolation… Lusamine had her techniques.

    “She spent more time with… with that thing…” Lillie said, “They’re inseparable now… She spends all of her time with it… last I saw her she was… she was _wearing_ it… On her head! L-like some sort of crown…”

               She shook her head, clearly disturbed by the memory and the awful sound of her Mothers voice.

    “I started wondering… started digging through the archives, the libraries. I found things. Things about that _creature._ Things about the Tapu… I thought maybe, maybe I could reason with her but… even after I showed her the facts, she wouldn’t listen.”

    “Facts?” Gladion asked, “Lillie, what did you find?”

    “Enough to convince me that she’s wrong. Project Ultra? It’s wrong. Worse than that… it’ll kill everyone in this Galaxy. I don’t think she even comprehends that. She just thinks she can slide out the Tapu, and replace them with her New Gods, once she summons them… she doesn’t understand what it’ll actually do!”

    “Lillie, slow down. You’re not making any sense.” Gladion said, resting his hands on her shoulders, “What do you mean?”

               Lillie took a deep breath, steadying herself, before continuing.

    “Mom wants to kill the Tapu, right? She wants to replace them with her ‘New Gods’ like the one she’s become so obsessed with… but the Tapu, you can’t kill them. Not without consequence. They’re mortal, but they’re important. They’re like… like pillars in a building. Knock them all down, the building collapses. If you kill the Tapu, there won’t be any New Gods. Even if she summons as many of those creatures as she’d like… it won’t make a difference. Without the Tapu, without Gods, this Universe. This reality. It’ll crumple in on itself… she won’t listen. Nobody in Aether will.” She paused, before asking;

    “That girl, Florie, she’s here, right?”

               Gladion nodded.

    “Yeah… few corridors down.”

    “I think she really did kill a Tapu… I thought about telling her… thinking maybe I might be able to stop her.” Lillie shook her head. “I don’t think she’d believe me… Nobody at Aether did. But you, you have to!”

    “Even if I did, what do you want me to do about it?” Gladion asked.

   “Stop Skull.” Lillie replied, her words plain and clear. “You can talk to the people in charge, can’t you? Or you can let me… I can show them… I can prove it…”

    “It wouldn’t be that simple, Lillie.” Gladion said, “And The Tapu needs to die…” Yet even as he said that, he sounded unsure. Those were Guzma’s words. Not his. Lillie frowned.

    “You don’t even believe that, do you?” She accused. “You’re just… just following along because why?”

    “Guzma and Plumes took care of me. Least I can do is help them.” Gladion said, “Look, I don’t need to justify it to you! How do you even know all this stuff you read is even accurate? Guzma says they’re just dumb animals! People have been doing it for millennia! Putting things up on a pedestal for no reason! Calling it sacred, building their culture around it. What happens if it’s a lie? What about the Jedi? What about The Force? They built themselves around something they thought they could control! Well if they could control it, how come they’re all dead? People are wrong all the time, Lillie.”

    “Not about this.” The girl said, “The data isn’t wrong.”  
    “It’s just numbers, Lillie.” Gladion said, before sighing, “You shouldn’t even be out here…”

    “You’re the only one I could have come to! If you don’t listen to me… I… I’ll have to do it on my own!”

               Gladion stared at her from the corner of his eye.

    “Do what? Stop Skull? Stop Florie?”

    “If it comes down to it, yes!” Lillie said, “I’ll do what I have to… I’m not a little kid anymore, Gladion. I got away from Mother… I can do a lot more than that if I try… Even if I have to do it alone, I will save Tapu Koko!”

    “Even if it means you have to kill? Could you do that, Lillie? Kill Guzma? Kill Plumeria? Kill Florie? Can you do that?”

               Lillie paused, her mouth dry. Gladion was staring right at her, his eyes burning into her. She took a breath, and steeled herself.

    “If anyone gets in my way, I _will_ kill them… if Guzma won’t stop, if Florie won’t stop… I can kill them… I… I will…”

               Gladion scoffed. He saw how serious she wanted to be. But wants did not translate into capabilities.

               There was a crunch of the nutshells near the door, and the siblings both looked up in alarm.

               They had a visitor.

 

               The figure in the doorway wore the armor of a General. One of Lord Hala’s elite. Lillie did not recognize him. But she recognized the lightsaber on his hip. In an instant she was on her feet, going for the blaster by Gladion’s bed.

               The General took a step forward. She had no idea how he could have gotten into the complex… but if she’d snuck in with such ease, could it be inconceivable for another to have done so as well?

               In a panic, Lillie leveled the blaster at the intruders head.

    “One more step and I’ll shoot!” She warned, her voice shaking and conveying an utter lack of conviction.

    “Will you?” The intruder asked, glancing at Gladion, who rose to his feet, “This must be your sister, huh? I can see the resemblance.”

    “Lillie… put the blaster down…” Gladion said.

    “H-he’s your enemy? Isn’t he? What if he’s here to kill you! What if he’s been killing soldiers on his way in?”

    “Oh, she’s a sharp one.” The intruder teased,

    “Don’t…” Gladion warned, but the Intruder took a step forward. Lillie let out a cry of fear, and pulled the trigger, the blaster leveled at the intruders head. She toppled over backwards, dropping the gun… which failed to even go off.

               The intruder burst into laughter, as Gladion snatched up the fallen blaster, and checked on Lillie to ensure she was alright.

    “She could’ve shot you!” He scolded the intruder.

    “There wasn’t even a battery pack in that gun!” They replied.

    “Residual charge. Never point a weapon at someone, even if it’s not loaded. You taught me that.”

    “I also taught you to check for residual charge before cleaning your weapon. See? I had total faith in you.”

    The intruder sat down on the bed, and nudged Gladion affectionately. Lillies eyes darted between the two of them in confusion.

    “You’re a damn idiot… especially if you keep coming here…” Gladion murmured, a lack of venom in his words, as the intruder leaned down to kiss his cheek.

    “I’m your idiot.”

               As General Sun kissed Gladion, the boys cheeks flushed redder and redder.

    “I-I’m sorry but what the heck is going on?” Lillie asked, her voice little more than a squeak.

    “This is Sun…” Gladion said sheepishly. “He’s… um… he’s the General of the opposing army… Sun, this is Lillie, my sister…” She’d never seen his cheeks so red before.

    “A-are you… but you’re supposed to be enemies?”

               Sun cocked his head to the side, looking a little guilty.

    “Supposed to be…” He sighed. “The situation was a little better when Gladion showed up. Skull was a lot smaller and less serious than it is now… it wasn’t a war. I didn’t need to get involved…”

    “And he can’t do his job right.” Gladion scolded, although he seemed more thankful for that than anything else.

    “I do my job just fine, thank you very much.” Sun replied, still glancing at Lillie.

               She sat there, unsure what to say, what to think, before shaking her head.

    “You know, you sure are a mess…” She said, getting up.

    “I’m not! I just…” Gladion couldn’t finish that sentence. This did admittedly look a little bad. He’d just rebuffed all she’d said, and yet here he was, in love with one of the ‘enemy’s’ greatest Generals.

    “If you’re not going to help me… I’ll do it myself.” Lillie said, “Goodbye, Gladion.” She brushed past him, and out into the hall. Gladion got up to follow her, but she was gone from sight by the time he made it out into the hallway. He looked around, before sighing.

   “I thought she was still with your Mother.” Sun said, his former playful tone gone.

   “Yeah… I did too…” Gladion looked over at his boyfriend, frowning. “She was trying to convince me to stop Skull…”

    “Guess she’s never met Guzma.” Sun murmured, “Stubborn old bastard won’t stop until the Tapu’s dead.”

     “Yeah… people are losing morale, though. I think even Plumes is thinking of trying to talk him down.”

    “Even if she did… Hala’s on the warpath. I’m not sure negotiating with him’s even an option anymore.” Sun murmured, taking out the scope he’d been using to scout the area. “Check this out.”

               He tossed it to Gladion, who caught it, and studied it.

    “This is Aether tech…” he murmured, “But I haven’t seen anything like this before.”

    “He met with a new arms dealer today. I think it was the same one Guzma’s been buying from. She had some serious firepower with her.”

    “Garnett?” Gladion asked, “Figured she’d be double dealing… I don’t think I’ve ever seen her offer anything like this, though.”

    “Might just be a new shipment… or she’s picking a side.” Sun said, taking the scope back.

    “Maybe. How’s Hau?”

    “Same as always. He sends his regards.”

    “Send him mine.” Gladion said, sitting down beside him. “I think Plumes might be onto us…”

    “Thought I saw someone in the watchtowers. Might’ve been her.” Sun said. “I didn’t get a good look.” He paused, before adding. “The High Knight of Ula showed up today too… he says that redhead you’ve got wandering around killed Tapu Bulu.”

               Gladion tensed up.

    “You sure he was the High Knight?” Gladion asked, “Could’ve been anyone…”

    “I’m positive.” Sun replied, and leaned in. “Things are getting worse… Hau’s not even sure there is a peaceful way out anymore… Godkillers, weapons… this is going to boil over, and fast.”

               Gladion nodded in silent agreement.

   “I’ve still got that ship…” Sun said, “Moon would hate me but… I wouldn’t need to tell her. We could go anywhere. Get away from the war. Get away from Aether…”

               For a moment, Gladion truly thought about it, and leaned in closer to Sun, resting his head against his body. He felt the boys lips brushing against his.

    “Maybe…” He said thoughtfully, as he reflected on what Lillie had said. It couldn’t have been more than the ravings of a scared girl… someone looking for answers where there were none. But this had been Lillie. Lillie wasn’t a fool. She’d always been a clever girl. Smarter than him, maybe even smarter than their Mother…

   “No.” Sun said, as if reading his mind.

   “I don’t know.” Gladion corrected, but he knew Sun was right.

   “What did Lillie say?”

               He sighed, noticing curiosity, and worry in Sun’s eyes. No point in keeping secrets.

    “Killing the Tapu might have worse consequences than we think…” Gladion said, “She said that if all four of the Tapu are killed… the Universe, reality itself…” He trailed off, and looked to Sun for his input. The General looked thoughtful for a few moments.

    “Some people believe that.” He said, “They say the Tapu are connected to The Force. They bind it. Kill them, and the Universe itself comes undone… Hala believes that. I don’t know…” He sighed, before asking; “Do you believe it?”

    “Lillie did. Enough to come looking for me…” Gladion replied, before shaking his head. “I’ll talk to Plumeria in the morning… are you staying?”

    “Do you want me to?”

    “Yes.” There really was no other answer to that question.

 


	9. Duel

The courtyard of the temple that Skull had taken over had once been used for displays of sport. Gestures in honor of the Tapu, usually combat. What better way to honor the God of conflict than with displays from great warriors?

               Soldiers had surrounded the courtyard, where Plumeria waited patiently, listening to the eager cheers of the soldiers around her. They knew what was in store for them. They’d seen their Sister fight, and they knew she never disappointed. Twin daggers rested comfortably in her hands. Dull practice blades, not for killing. They could see the blaster holstered on her belt as well.

               Amongst the crowd, Guzma and Zenith stood side by side.

    “Hell of a turnout.” Guzma mused, “Our boys sure do love watchin’ a good old fashioned beatdown.”

     “If we’re supposed to be working together, is this necessary?” Zenith asked. He glanced towards the door Florie would be coming through in mere moments.

    “Plumes has her methods.” Guzma shrugged, “She ain’t gonna greenlight a run at the Tapu, especially with a couple of strangers, without knowing just where everyone stands.”

    “Why do you need her approval?” Zenith asked, “I thought you were running the show.”

               Guzma raised an eyebrow.

    “Buddy, you don’t know shit about women, do you? I’m the guy in charge. She’s the one running the show around here.”

               It didn’t make any sense to Zenith, who just raised an eyebrow at him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gladion approaching, and coming to a stop beside Guzma. He seemed to be in good spirits, at least.

    “Hedging any bets, kid?” Guzma asked.

    “I don’t bet against family.” Gladion replied, and Guzma nodded.

    “That’s wise… you sleep alright? Heard some noise complaints down there.”

               Gladion briefly tensed up, but shrugged it off.

    “Wasn’t me, Boss.”

               Guzma merely nodded, anything more he might have said was interrupted by a cheer from the assembled crowd, as Florie emerged from the temple.

               She’d abandoned her robe for attire more suited for combat. Black soldiers pants, and a white Aether vest. She’d tied her hair back for the occasion, and in the interest of fair play, had traded her lightsaber for a practice blade, not unlike what Plumeria wielded.

               Zenith caught himself staring for longer than he should have, as Guzma rose to his feet, his loud voice bellowing out over the assembled.

    “ALRIGHTY THEN! LOOKS LIKE BOTH OF TODAYS CONTESTANTS ARE PRESENT! NOW TO THOSE OF YOU WHO JUST AIN’T PAYIN’ ANY FUCKIN’ ATTENTION! WE’VE GOT YOUR BIG SIS! THE MEANIST BITCH THIS SIDE OF MELE, AGAINST THIS SO CALLED GODKILLER, JEDI CHICK! TELL ME BOYS! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF _THAT?”_

Most of the assembled soldiers cheered, save for a select few… who booed at Florie. Unintelligible yells sounded from the audience, either of encouragement or insult. Zenith couldn’t determine which.

               He felt someone sitting beside him, and glanced over to see a short woman with odd eyes, and dyed blue hair. Not a Skull soldier. Another outsider, like him, yet she moved with an air of belonging.

    “Fuck yes. Just in time for the main event…” The woman mused, and glanced at Zenith. “Love your dye job… you as high as I am right now?” She grinned.

   “N-No?” Zenith stammered.

   “That’s a shame. Wanna be?”

   “No!” The answer was more definitive this time.   
   “NOW LET’S SEE A GOOD CLEAN BEATDOWN!” Guzma cried, interrupting them both. “LADIES! WHEN YOU’RE READY… KICK SOME ASS!”

               The man collapsed back down into his seat, cackling as Florie and Plumeria advanced on each other. He noticed the newcomer, and grinned. Gladion was staring at them as well, his expression far less welcoming.

    “Sammy! Always a pleasure!”

    “Good to see my favorite customers still alive.” The woman mused, “Was just talking to your Aether friend here… what am I missing? Who’s the ginger?”

    “Someone who thinks she can kill a God.” Guzma replied, “Guess we’re gonna find out, aren’t we?”

               Samantha Garnetts grin widened.

    “Well holy fuck… this is gonna be either real fuckin’ good, or real fuckin’ embarrassing.”

  


               Down in the courtyard, Florie readied the blade she held. Plumeria kept her distance, circling around her, both daggers at the ready. From the corner of her eye, she watched her opponent, daring Plumeria to make the first move. For a while, the two sized each other up.

               Plumeria wasn’t used to this. Most of those she’d faced attacked sooner, but Florie displayed a familiar caution. She studied her a moment longer, before readying one of her blades, and throwing it at her head, with expert precision.

               In one lightning quick movement, Florie raised her blade, knocking the dagger out of the way, and sending it clattering uselessly against the dirt. Plumeria charged her, feinting right, before tossing her dagger to her other hand, and moving in to try and jab Florie in the ribs. Florie maneuvered effortlessly out of harms way, holding her blade safely between herself and Plumeria, as the woman snatched up her second dagger, and went on the offensive. Her knives clashed against Flories sword, never landing a hit, but coming close. For every point of contact, Florie was forced back a step, and she was running out of space.

               She caught a hint of a smirk on Plumerias lips, but the battle wasn’t over quite yet.

               As Plumeria made another slash, Florie pushed back against her, staggering her for just a moment. Long enough for Florie to leap clear into the air, and over Plumerias head.

               As she landed, she heard the soldiers around them go wild, and spotted a look of clear bewilderment on Plumerias face, followed by a far more impressed look. Such a jump would have been impossible for any normal human… but a Jedi?

               Plumerias grin returned, as she readied her blades once more, for the inevitable counterattack.

  


   “They’re really somethin, huh?” Guzma asked.

   “I’ve seen worse.” Samantha said, “But they’re not the point, are they?” She glanced at Guzma, “You called me up for business, yeah?”

   “In due time.” Guzma replied, “Relax. Enjoy the show… anyone ever told you, you need to loosen up a little? Get that stick outta your ass.”

    “There have been, and will be a lotta things in my ass… no promises. But fine, whatever. I ain’t in any fuckin’ rush.” Samantha shrugged, before sitting back. “You’re lookin’ a little tense though, if I do say so myself… speaking of things up ones ass, you sure you don’t have a little somethin’ somethin’ up there right now? Little memento from last night with Plumes?” She winked, both at Guzma, and Zenith.

    “It’s a tense time.” Guzma replied, shifting a little uncomfortably. “Got a lot goin’ on.”

   “Oh I’ll bet you do.” Samantha leaned over to examine Gladion, “Now you… You don’t look so bad… do you, kid? Nah… got that, ‘I just got fuckin’ laid’ vibe to you…”

               Gladion looked away from her, earning some laughter.

    “Oh fuck! Did you? Way to go! This guy! This fucking guy! I don’t even know your name, but I fucking love you!” She laughed, and returned her focus to the fight between Florie and Plumeria.

               The two weaved around each other, like dancers, although far more violent. Her attention shifted to Zenith, who watched the fight as though he truly did expect one of the participants to die.

    “Now you… you look like you’re about to shit a brick…” She noted, “Guzma there… he already knows everything’s gonna be fine. But you…” She stroked her chin, “You’ve got a raging hard on right now, don’t you?”

               Zenith looked away from the fight.

   “Excuse me?”

   “Well, not literally! I mean… I don’t think…” Her eyes shifted downwards, before returning to meet his, “I mean like… one of those girls down there… you got a little crush, don’t you Aether Boy?”

    “None of your business.” Zenith said.

    “Don’t pester our guest too much.” Guzma warned, and Samantha sat back once more, sighing.

    “Fine, fine… Hypocrite…”

  


               Oblivious to the happenings above them, Plumeria and Florie continued their duel. Neither had landed a hit on the other, and both were growing tired. Florie seemed calm, her expression stoic and focused, Plumeria on the other hand was growing irritated.

               She lunged once more, a little more hastily than before, her daggers catching on Florie’s sword. There was a lapse in her stance, just a momentary one, but it was enough for Florie to take advantage of. As one blade came down against Florie’s blade, she swung her own, forcing the dagger out of Plumerias hand. She kicked the other woman hard in the stomach, sending her toppling backwards onto her rear. The girl recovered quickly, leaping to her feet, and holding her remaining dagger at the ready, her teeth gritted in determination.

               Florie raised her sword, eyes focused and prepared for Plumeria to make her next move.

    “Not half bad…” She said, “But that ain’t Godkiller material…”

    “Neither are you.” Florie replied.

               Though she gave no outward indication, that statement caused a shameful spike of rage inside Plumeria. Once again, she sized Florie up, before drawing her arm back, and hurling her dagger for the second time. Florie outstretched her hand, the force sending the flying dagger off course, but that was what Plumeria had wanted.

               In one deft motion, she drew the blaster from its holster, and fired at Florie. The round struck her in the shoulder, causing pain, but leaving no injury. She cried out in both shock, and pain, before glancing up at Plumeria.

    “That’s not fair!”

   “Battle isn’t fair.” Plumeria replied, before firing again. This time, Florie tried to deflect the round, but a sword was not a lightsaber. Even set to stun, the blasters round ripped the blade from her hand. Plumeria narrowed her eyes and took a final shot. This time, aimed for Flories head.

               But the shot did not hit. It sat there, frozen in midair, mere inches form Flories outstretched hand. Flories eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected to stop the blaster round. By all means, she shouldn’t have… only the most powerful users of The Force could do something like that. But to her knowledge, there wasn’t another force user in the area...

               She focused, as Plumeria readied another shot, and redirected the round. Plumeria fired a second time, but not before her own round caught her in the chest. Her shot went harmlessly off into the sky, as Skull’s lieutenant hit the dirt again, defeated.

               The spectators were silent. A few helped Plumeria up. For a moment, Florie expected her to attack again. But she didn’t.

               She coughed, patting her chest, where the stun round had hit her.

    “Guess that’s it, then…” She said, and holstered her gun. “You win.”

               Some of the soldiers applauded, but even moreso weren’t sure if they should applaud or not. Plumeria offered Florie a hand to shake either way.

  


    “LOOKS LIKE OUR GODKILLER WINS! C’MON, BOYS! GIVE IT UP FOR OUR VICTOR!” Guzma cried, standing up once more. His enthusiasm drew a few cheers from some of the soldiers. The rest refused to cheer for their sisters defeat.

               Plumeria looked up at Guzma, and gave him a brief nod.

    “THAT’S ALL, YA LITTLE SHITS! YOU ALL GOT JOBS TO DO! GET TO ‘EM!”

               Zenith breathed a sigh of relief, before standing up with Guzma.

    “Thank the maker…” He murmured.

    “Not half bad at all.” Samantha said, although her tone sounded insincere. She looked up at Guzma, “Now… since whatever the shitting fuck that was is over with… how’s about we get down to business, yeah?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not 100% satisfied with this chapter, but I can't think of much more to do with it.


	10. Plans

Guzma had cleared out the control center for the briefing. Without the soldiers working, and with the machines silent, the altar seemed just a little bit closer to the way its makers intended it to be.

               Zenith waited near the door, while Guzma sat in his chair, Gladion at his side, waiting for Florie and Plumeria to join them. Samantha toured the room, admiring the tech in a much appreciated silence.

               As soon as the two women appeared, the briefing would begin. Florie looked no worse for wear, but Zenith thought he noticed a bit of exhaustion in her eyes. Plumeria on the other hand, looked as though nothing had happened. She’d shaken off her loss with ease. She paused in the door the moment she saw Samantha.

    “What’s she doing here?” She asked.

    “What? No hug?” The arms dealer teased, “Big Boss man tells me you motherfuckers are ready to go for the fucking jugular. I’m here to make sure you’ve got some fucking teeth.”

   “I cut a deal with her.” Guzma said, “Samantha’s agreed to supply us when we make our move. But we can’t just march up to Tapu Koko’s temple…”

   “I know.” Plumeria said, before glancing between Zenith and Florie, “I don’t imagine either of you scouted the Tapu’s temple, before you came here?”

    “We assumed you would have.” Zenith replied.

    “We have… but you should never assume.” Plumeria said, going towards one of the computers. She input a few commands, and brought up a small map on one of the screens.

    “This is the area around Tapu Koko’s temple… this tower here…” She gestured to a point on the map, “That’s where he lives, and all of this…” Plumeria’s fingers circled a wide area around the temple. “That’s the kill zone.”

    “Kill zone?” Florie asked.

    “Tapu Koko doesn’t like people knocking on its door. Go out to its territory, you’re more than likely to get struck by lightning. Only exceptions are the Tapu’s chosen, and even then… it can be fickle.”

    “How do you approach something that vaporizes anything that gets close?” Zenith asked.

    “You fucking don’t.” Samantha chimed in. “Not above ground, anyways. There’s a series of caverns beneath the Kill zone, all terminating riiiight at Tapu Fuckbuckets doorstep. You can just walk right up and knock.”

    “We can move supplies through the kill zone. The problem is, once we’re spotted… the Tapu goes on the offensive.”

    “It’s just one Tapu. An army could take it.” Florie said.

    “Not this one.” Plumeria replied, shaking her head, “Legends tell of those who’ve defied the Tapu. The lightning purged them from this world, and burnt their souls into the rock, preventing them from moving on.”

               A silly superstition, but Florie chose not to say such. Gladion grimaced as the topic was mentioned.

    “We’ve already tried to attack.” Guzma said, “That fucking thing wiped us out before we could even get close. Even if you approach from the bottom, you’ve still gotta climb the tower. It’s not fighting the Tapu that’s the problem. It’s range.”

    “Which is where you might come in handy…” Plumeria admitted, looking at Florie. “You might be able to get up the tower faster than any of us.”

    “How do I deal with the lightning?” Florie asked, and Samantha raised a hand.

    “Hi. That’d be my cue. See… I’ve done Guzma a solid here, and played a little bit of Nicky Nicky nine doors with Tapu whatshisface… he’s powerful, but he can’t focus. You grab his attention with something, he’ll try and kill that, and you might just be able to sneak in the back door and fuck him up his ass before he even realizes his pants are down. I’ve got a few drones I’m willing to sell for that, and assuming plan A goes down the shitter… well, strength in numbers.”

     “It’s not exactly foolproof.” Zenith said.

    “There’s no foolproof way to take Tapu Koko down.” Plumeria replied. “Stealth, explosives, none of it’s worked… so now we’re onto distractions and Jedi.”

    “If I can get to the Tapu, I can kill it.” Florie said, “But I’ll need to actually get there, first.”

   “Don’t you think it’s too risky?” Zenith asked.

   “Nothing ventured…” Florie trailed off.

   “I’m with Zenith.” Gladion spoke for the first time, drawing the attention of the others in the room. Guzma quirked an eyebrow.

   “What if this fails too?” Gladion asked, “We’ll be out of options, we’ll be down even more soldiers. Hala’s on the warpath. We’ve had Sun and Moon both breathing down our necks… I don’t know if this is worth it.”

               Plumeria thoughtfully nodded.

    “It’s high risk…” She agreed, “Failing this, I’m not sure how much longer Skull will be able to hold out. We don’t even know what Lord Hala is up to. He could be planning something big, even as we speak.” She glanced at Gladion from the corner of her eye.

   “Do we want to take that risk?” He asked.

               Guzma was silent for a moment.

   “So what? We just back off?”

   “It might be the smarter idea.” Gladion offered.

   “If Hala’s planning something, the sooner we move, the better.” Florie said, “I _can_ kill the Tapu. I know that I can. It’s just a matter of whether or not you’re able to cover me until I can get close enough to do it.”

   “We can!” Guzma said, his mind made up, “And once we do… Hala won’t matter. His God will be dead! People will see it! His days are gonna be numbered...”

   “Or he’ll counterattack.” Plumeria noted. Guzma waved his hand dismissively.

   “We’ll just beat him down. What’s that old man gonna do without his God?” He looked at Florie, and rose from his seat.

   “We’ve got the supplies. We’ve got the soldiers… if you can pull this off, gimme a day… we can get this over with quickly.”

               Zenith looked nervously at Florie, who only nodded in agreement.

   “The sooner, the better.”

   “I can have the drones ready by tomorrow afternoon, evening at the latest.” Samantha noted.

   “Do it.” Guzma said, “For too damn long, I’ve had to listen to people put a murderous animal on a fucking pedestal. Too damn long I’ve had to listen to that old man tell me to ‘Trust the will of the fucking Tapu’ like that meant something! I’ve been waiting for years to crush that goddamn bug. To prove to people it’s not what they think it is! Plumeria… tell the soldiers to get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, we’re gonna kill us a God!”

               A shadow passed over Gladion’s face. Plumeria only nodded solemnly. Florie said nothing at all, and Zenith swore he saw something different in Samantha’s smile.

 

              

               As they left the room, Zenith found himself dragging his feet a little, and trailing behind Florie.

   “What if what Gladion said back there was right?” He asked, and she stopped to look over at him.

   “Would it matter?” She asked, “This isn’t our fight. We’re just here for the Tapu.”

   “And what if you can’t kill it?” Zenith asked, and Florie didn’t respond for a few minutes.

   “I will…” She sounded decisive. “I’m going to… I’ve already killed one. I can do it again.”

               Zenith frowned, but stayed at her side. He wasn’t even sure how to argue with that. Her mind was made up.

               A voice, muffled by static came through his comm radio, and his attention was stolen away. Florie frowned as he unhooked it from his belt. The voice spoke again, and she recognized Rotom on the other end.

    “Zenith? Zenith, come in? Missy Flo? Anyone there?”

   “This is Zenith, copy. What’s the situation?”

   “Oh! We got through!” Rotom sounded just a little relieved by that. “We’ve been trying since yesterday. Doctor Carillo says it’s the planets static. We’ve moved the ship closer to try and regain contact.”

   “I’m hearing you, but you’re a little fuzzy.” Zenith said, “What’s going on? Is everything okay, over there?”

    “Oh! We’re fine! We’re all fine here, thanks… how are you?” Rotom asked, before Rico’s voice replaced it.

   “Zenith, is that you?”

   “Yeah, we’re hearing you!”

   “ _Eccellente._ We have a few complications. I spotted Lady Nyx in Hau’oli yesterday. She’s under the impression Prince Gladion is with Skull. Lillie’s disappeared, I suspect she’s gone looking for him.”

   “Gladion?” Zenith asked, “Can confirm… Gladion is a member of Skull, we’ve seen him. No sign of Lillie, though. When’d you lose track of her?”

   “Yesterday, few hours after we dropped you off. Zero says she may have hitched a ride on a Skull supply truck. She spotted a few people in Skull attire in the city before Lillie got away.”

   “If she rode a supply truck in, she may already be in the complex.” Florie noted. Zenith nodded in agreement, before speaking again.

   “We’ll keep our eyes peeled. What’s your location right now, Doc?”

    “We’ve landed a few kliks east of the Skull complex. Zero and Jazz are running radar, in case she shows up. Radio in if you see anything.”

    “Willdo. Rico, we’ve just been briefed by Guzma. They’re making their move tomorrow. I can send you the co-ordinates, but the area is a no fly zone.”

   “So I’ve noticed.” Rico said, “Jazz was running scans of the surrounding area. We spotted the Tapu’s temple, but the meteorological reports are _folle._ I assumed the Tapu was at the heart of it.”

   “Right on the money there…” Zenith said, “If we pull this off, we’ll radio you about extraction. If not… it’s been an honor, Doc.”

   “Just stay safe out there, Zenith.” Rico replied, “Send my regards to Florie.”

   “She hears you.” Zenith assured him, before the comms went dead. Zenith hooked it back into his belt, and digested what he’d heard.

    “Should we look for Lillie?” He asked, looking up at Florie.

    “If she was looking for Gladion, we would’ve already found her.” She replied, “Wouldn’t we?” She had no idea just how wrong she was.


	11. Rendezvous

In the streets of Hau’oli, nobody cared if they saw a Skull soldier, but Gladion wore more casual clothes anyways. No need to risk being stopped by the guards, or worse. He wanted to be undisturbed as he made his way to the palace.

               He remembered the first time he’d walked these streets, back during more ‘peaceful’ times, before Guzma had militarized Skull. There had been fewer guards in this part of the city back then, and more thugs looking for easy prey. A few of them had chosen Gladion as their target for the day. He’d tried to fight back… and hell, if there’d been fewer of them, he just might have held his ground. But five on one wasn’t a fair fight in any regards. He’d wound up on the ground, bloody, bruised and beaten, convinced that he was going to die that day, when from seemingly nowhere… That Boy had arrived.

               Sun had taken him in. He’d helped him heal, and though Gladion had been afraid to let him in at first, Sun wound up getting through to him anyways. A good Samaritan became a friend, and in time, a friend became a lover. Gladion admittedly resented that their current situation demanded they hide their love. But Sun couldn’t betray his duties, and Gladion couldn’t betray those who’d took him in. Two lovers torn apart by ideologies… and yet still determined to be lovers. Perhaps there was something poetic about that. Or perhaps it was just tragic.

               Guards patrolled the perimeter of the ancient stone palace, but Gladion knew their routes. He knew where to go to enter the palace without them seeing, and when to make his move.

               Had he been coming with ill intent, Gladion may have lamented how easy it was to enter the Palace grounds, but his intent was anything but ill. On the contrary, he was relieved.

               The courtyard leading into the palace was abandoned at that time of night. Gladion paused in the shadows, checking for guards, and upon finding none, found his usual spot, to climb onto the roof. It got easier from there, as he silently moved across the castle, moving towards the second storey window that was incapable of locking. Again, he checked, before climbing through it, and making his way through the halls of the castle.

    “Hold it.” A voice said behind him, and Gladion froze, going for the knife in his belt. Behind him, stood a boy with dark skin, and hair done up in a ponytail. He held a jeweled sword out towards Gladion, and his expression was stern as their eyes made contact.

               Yet the moment Gladion registered who it was, his assailants harsh look melted away, to be replaced with a warm smile.

    “You’re losing your touch.” Prince Hau said, “I saw you in the courtyard.”

   “I’m in a little bit of a rush.” Gladion admitted, as Hau pulled him into a hug, that he weakly returned.

    “Yeah? I won’t keep you, then…” He paused, before adding, “You know this isn’t safe, right? That Aether lady… if she sees you…”

    “Nyx won’t see me.” Gladion assured him. “I won’t be long. Where’s Sun?”

    “Training yard. You know where his room is, I can send him up, if you want.”

   “I’d be grateful.” Gladion said, cracking a weak smile, and Hau nodded.

    “Consider it done…” He paused, before asking, “You wouldn’t have risked coming if it wasn’t serious… anything I need to worry about?”

               Gladion considered hiding it from him, but decided against it.

    “Skull’s making their move tomorrow…” He said, “Be ready for whatever might happen.”

               Hau grimaced, before sighing.

    “So much for a truce, huh? Well… I’ll keep an eye on things. Don’t get yourself killed, alright? I don’t need to lose anymore friends.”

               He patted Gladion on the shoulder, before sheathing his blade, and turning to leave. Gladion nodded at him, and made his way towards Sun’s room.

 

 

               In the training yard, Sun and Moon clashed. The siblings practiced with sticks, dancing around each other as if they were lightsabers. They parried, ducked, and Sun made a simple misstep, only to find his sister's weapon pressed against his neck.

    “Dead.” Moon said, grinning, and taking a step back, “Step up your game, Sun!”

   “Almost got you, though!” He argued.

   “Almost doesn’t save you. Come on, best six out of ten?”

   “Yeah, yeah…” Sun murmured, readying his practice weapon once more, although paused as he saw Hau coming up behind Moon.

    “Sun! Hope I’m not interrupting, but could you come with me?”

    “We’re in the middle of practice!” Moon protested, “Can it wait?”

    “It won’t be long.” Hau assured her, “Just something I need his help with.”

               Moon frowned, but Sun set his practice weapon aside.

    “Cheer up, Sister. You probably would’ve beat me anyways.” He assured her, although Moon didn’t look assured.

    “Don’t keep me waiting!” She warned the two of them, before setting her weapon aside, and picking up her water bottle. She studied the two of them as they departed, whispering to each other, eyes narrowing, just a little.

 

              

               Suns personal chambers were decorated with trophies of his conquests. For a boy no older than twenty, his military career was quite distinguished. He and his Sister had been hailed as prodigies. Modern day Jedi, and Guardians of Tapu Koko. Gladion wondered if Sun felt any pride over his accomplishments. The boy seemed modest enough, and Gladion had seen his ferocity when he fought, although he was nothing compared to his sister. But outside of that, he’d seen nothing that showed him Sun enjoyed battle. He’d never wanted to ask him. It’d always seemed such a sore subject.

               He heard the doors opening across the room, and looked to see Sun entering alone. The boy came towards him quickly, pulling him into his arms, and into a needful kiss, that Gladion all too eagerly reciprocated.

    “What are you doing here?” Sun asked, as they parted, “You’re damn lucky you weren’t caught on your way in!”

   “I had to see you.” Gladion replied, “Skull’s making their move on the Tapu tomorrow…”

               Sun frowned.

    “Again? They should know its suicide, by now…”

    “They think they can pull it off. That girl, Florie. She’s a Jedi. I saw what she can do with my own eyes… if they don’t kill the Tapu, they’ll decimate themselves trying.”

               Sun looked away from him.

    “You want me to stop them?” He asked, and Gladion nodded.

    “You’re the only one who can…” He hesitated, before continuing, “You asked me before how they’ve been moving troops and supplies without you noticing, right? That’s how they plan on attacking the Tapu. They’ve been building up a stockpile in the caverns beneath the Temple. Explosives, weapons… I don’t know if you’ll be able to reach it without going through the Kill Zone. But maybe, if you can appease the Tapu…”

    “Wait, they’ve been using the caverns?” Sun frowned. “That explains it… But Tapu Koko won’t let anyone close to its temple, right now. Not even Hala! After all Skull’s previous attempts, it’s spooked. I wanted to place a battalion near the temple, it nearly killed them before they could even get close, even with myself and Hala leading them…” Sun trailed off,

    “They’ll be walking into a massacre. You know that, right?”

    “Of course I do. So do they. That arms dealer you mentioned, she showed up at the compound again. Guzma thinks he can use drones to distract the Tapu, while that girl climbs the tower. It might work… I don’t know for sure. But if it doesn’t, I think he’s got a plan B… earlier, I heard him talking about explosives with that Garnett. I think he means to blow the cavern completely. Collapse the tower from the base, and hope it does the job.”

    “What? He must be damn near mad!” Sun paused, processing this information.

    “I’ll do what I can. When’s this attack planned?”

    “Tomorrow.”

    “Damnit… I can mobilize some troops but… if I want a fighting chance, I have to tell Hala.”

               Gladion went silent for a moment, wanting to argue, before realizing it was pointless. He merely gave a single, quick nod.

    “Do it… better to involve him than risk killing everyone.”

               Sun’s fingers laced with his.

    “I’m sorry… Look… I know you don’t have anywhere else to go but… I’d feel better if you didn’t go back to the compound. If they’re making the attack tomorrow, I don’t want to risk you being part of it.”

    “Where else would I go?” Gladion asked

    “There’s still the ship. You can pilot it, can’t you?”

               Gladion nodded once more, and began to speak, when he heard the door open again.

               Both of them looked to see who’d interrupted them, and as Moon entered the room, with Nyx at her side.

Panic seized both of the boys, as Sun tried to put himself between Gladion, and the two interlopers.

    “Is this what’s so important, Brother?” Moon asked, pure venom in her tone. “Conspiring with the enemy? That’s treason, you know…”

    “Moon, Wait! I can…”

               Sun took a step closer to her, and Moon drew her lightsaber, the burning blade stopping just inches from her Brothers face.

    “Don’t make me do that, Sun.” She warned, and looked over at Gladion. The boy backed away hastily, as Nyx advanced on him.

    "RUN!" Sun cried, as if Gladion needed any urging to do so, but there was nowhere to run to. No window he could safely jump out of, no hope of getting past Nyx and Moon. He went for the dagger in his belt, holding it at the ready. As Nyx drew closer, he tried to slash at her, only to find his arm caught in a solid grasp. In one fluid motion, his Mothers Knight lifted him in the air, and slammed him into the ground. The knife fell from his grasp, and Gladion struggled weakly against Nyx’s strength.

               Moon regarded them from the corner of her eye, before looking at Sun again.

    “What were you thinking?” She snarled. “You know what he is!”

    “He’s a friend!” Sun protested.

    “He’s a runaway! A blasphemer, and he is our enemy!”

    “You didn’t say that when I took him in!” Sun said, “You welcomed him back then!”

    “This isn’t ‘then’.” Moon replied harshly, and looked at Nyx again.

    “Keep this quiet.” She said to her.

    “I’ll say I found him snooping inside.” The assassin replied, uncaring of the situation. Her mission was complete, and yet she regarded Sun with a gaze that was… almost pitiful. Understanding, in its own way.

               That momentary hint of understanding and compassion in Nyx’s eyes made Sun loathe her, in that moment. He wanted to rush her, to try and force her off of Gladion, but he didn’t. The heat of Moon’s lightsaber was all the deterrent he needed.

               Nyx forced Gladion to his feet, and for one last moment, the lovers eyes met, as they were separated by force. She pulled him from the room, and both were gone.

               Sun and Moon stood alone in his room, and Moon finally lowered her lightsaber.

   “I’m disappointed in you.” She said, her tone cold.

   “Then why lie about him?” Sun asked, “Why ask Nyx to lie?”

   “Because I heard what he said. We need that information. That’s the only reason I’m covering your ass.”

               Sun sensed another lie in her voice.

   “This doesn’t need to end in death.” He said, “Hau still thinks we can find another way… I still think we can!”

   “It doesn’t matter what you, or Hau think, Sun. It matters what Lord Hala wants, and Lord Hala has given the order; All members of Skull are to die, if not in battle, than by execution. That should include Gladion. So be thankful I called Nyx, instead of cutting him down the moment I saw him.”

               She turned away, and stopped in the doorway.

    “Go to bed, Brother… we have a war to win, tomorrow, and you _will_ win it with me.”


	12. The Caverns

The caverns below Mele were far larger than Florie had anticipated. There were signs of mining. Skull had worked to expand them, although the effort looked minimal at best.

               Plumeria led a convoy of trucks in a cruiser, with Guzma at her side, and Florie and Zenith in the back. Guzma seemed chipper and upbeat, as if he knew what this day may bring. Plumeria was silent as the grave, while Zenith merely watched the passing scenery of chiseled rock and infinite darkness.

     “Not too late to turn back…” He muttered, looking over at Florie, and knowing she wouldn’t hear him. Indeed she didn’t and stared straight ahead, a determined look on her face, and her lightsaber resting comfortably on her belt.

 

               The convoy came to a stop, and the cruiser shut down. Zenith could see several crates and boxes ahead, and got up from his seat along with the others. Samantha was just barely visible in the darkness. Her back was to them, and in the low light, she was almost impossible to make out, giving the impression that the symbol on the back of her coat was just floating in midair. It unsettled him.

    “Yo, Sammy. You got those drones ready?” Guzma called, and Samantha looked up from her work.

    “Uh huh… they’re good to go. Up on the surface.” She gestured to a hasty setup nearby.

    “I was generous. You’ve got four drones. So if the Tapu takes one down, take cover, and get another one up. Just don’t try and get them blown up. Once you’re out of drones… you’d better be at the top of that tower, or else you’re turbofucked.” Her eyes settled on Florie.

    “We’ll make it work.” Guzma said, and looked over at Plumeria, giving her a nod, as she went to assemble the troops.

    “Now, you made good and sure that this ain’t a charity case, right?” Samantha asked.

    “Moneys already been wired.” Guzma said, “You got yours.”

    “That’s what I like to hear!” She patted him on the shoulder, and moved to leave, when Guzma caught her wrist.

    “What about the rest of it?” He asked, and Samantha’s grin momentarily faded.

    “In the crates.” She said, “But make sure you’re sure before you hit that switch… if those explosives go off, that towers coming down, and everything down here is gonna be rubble.”

    “It’s a last resort.” Guzma said, before shooing her away. Samantha slinked past him, towards the cruiser Plumeria had used, and rode it towards the exit of the tunnel.

    “Wait, explosives?” Zenith asked, “You never said anything to us about explosives?”

    “Like I said, a last resort.” Guzma said, “At best, we use it to cover our escape, once the Tapu’s dead. One last ‘Fuck You’ to the old man.”

    “Are they stable?” Florie asked, doubting whether or not Guzma would have considered that.

    “Yeah, more or less. They don’t go off without a charge… I’ll need to make sure it’s set properly… but we should be in the clear”

     “Are you positive?” Florie asked, her voice sterner this time, and Guzma shot her a look.

    “I just said they were! What? You want a demonstration? We ain’t got time for that.”

    “GUZMA!”

               The three of them looked up as Plumeria rushed towards them. The alarm in her voice had been out of place… and Zenith felt a sinking feeling start to set into his stomach.

    “What’s wrong?” Guzma asked.

     “It’s Hala! He’s got Sun and Moon, they’ve followed us into the caverns! We’re cornered!”

     “What?!” The utter shock on Guzma’s face, conveyed a rage and defeat neither Zenith nor Florie had ever seen before.

    “How the hell did they know we were down here?”

    “I don’t know, and right now I don’t fucking care. They’re coming straight for us!”

               Guzma sighed.

    “Alright… advance the schedule. Someone get on the drones! Tell the soldiers to set up a barricade. I want mines, artillery. Whatever we’ve got! We can’t let them get to us!”

      “Mines? Artillery? You’ll cause a cave in!”

     “You wanna be caved in, or executed by Hala?” Guzma asked, “Just do it!”

               She hesitated, and for a moment, Florie considered demanding that Guzma call the whole thing off… but how could they? There was no escape. No way out except up towards the Tapu.

               She took her lightsaber, and gestured for Zenith to follow her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Guzma gesturing for one of the soldiers to man the drones, while he followed them.

    “I’m climbing that tower with you.” He said, drawing a blaster from his hip, “I’m not letting you kill that thing without me.”

    “Don’t slow us down.” Florie warned, before making her way to the great staircase that indicated the bottom of the tower, and began to climb.

 

              

               Hala stood watching as his armies entered the tunnels under the Tapu’s land. Today, the blasphemers would meet their deserved end… he would see to that personally.

               Sun and Moon stood on either side of him, both unusually silent. Hala sensed some tension between them, but attributed it to the significance of this battle. His brow furrowed as he saw a single speeder passing out of the cavern, disrupting his army. None of them fired. They wouldn’t have been able to get a shot anyways. Moon raised her scope, and recognized the arms dealer in the speeder.

    “It’s not Skull…” She noted, “It’s that arms dealer.”

    “Dealing on both sides, is she?” Hala asked, with a scoff.

    “Do I give the order?” Moon asked, and Hala just shook her head.

    “She’s nothing but a war profiteer. An iron monger. Little better than a parasite. Save our ammo for the real war.”

               He looked up towards the Tapu’s tower, and spotted something flying near the tower. A small ship of sorts… although it looked too small to be piloted by any human. His eyes narrowed, as he saw a flash of lightning, no doubt from the Tapu trying to swat that annoyance.

   “Let the army do as they must.” Hala decided, “You two… come with me. No doubt Skull expects to climb the tower while the Tapu is distracted. It’s time we fulfilled our sacred duty to guard Tapu Koko. Ready the speeder.”

               He turned to leave, and Moon followed, only briefly looking back to glare at Sun, and silently command him to do as ordered.


	13. Happy Trails

Gladion wanted to run. But there was no running. He’d spent the night locked in a cell, his hands bound, his eyes and mouth both covered. There was no movement, and little sleep.

               Nyx had come to fetch him later in the morning, all but dragging him out of the cell, like a disobedient animal. As he was taken from the cell, the blindfold was torn off of his eyes, but the gag was left in place. He counted five guards around him, not including Nyx herself, who led him through the empty palace, and towards a cruiser waiting outside the palace grounds.

               Gladion halfheartedly wished he would see Sun as he left, if only since he may never see the boy again. But there was nothing. Not even Hau was present to see him off.

               Gladion was thrust into the middle seat of the cruiser, as Nyx took the passenger seat. Two guards sandwiched him between them, while a third one drove. It was only after the vehicle was in motion that Nyx spoke.

    “Empress Lusamine will be pleased by your return… she was so distraught when you left…” She glanced over at Gladion, her expression stoic.

    “I can see you’re not comfortable… I’m sorry about the amenities, Prince Gladion. But I’ve spent too long searching for you. You won’t be getting away from me.”

               Gladion shot her a look, that said what he could not, and Nyx ignored it. She looked straight ahead, taking a small measure of enjoyment from the drive. Gladion studied her for a few moments, before beginning to move his wrists, testing the rope, to see if he could unbind himself. Nyx had known what she was doing when she’d bound him, but Gladion had picked up a few tricks out in the galaxy. The world had not been kind to him… but it had been an excellent teacher.

               They reached the shipyard soon after, and the guards shoved Gladion out of the speeder, escorting him towards a white Aether ship, with sinister purple markings along its side.

    “Bring him on board.” Nyx ordered the guards, “Make sure he’s secure.”

               Gladion barely resisted as he was pushed towards the ship. Instead, he took in his surroundings. In the distance, he saw flashes of lightning, and felt his heart sink.

    _‘They’re over there… Sun, Guzma, Plumeria… they’re all over there…’_ He wondered if Lillie would be as well, holding true to her word that she’d do what she needed to do, to protect the Tapu, even if it meant killing Florie and Guzma. He’d looked for her the day after their encounter, but failed to find her. She could have been anywhere. On one of Skull’s trucks, disguised as a member… she could be in that battle right now.

               A cruiser entered the shipyard, and Gladion recognized it as Guzma’s. His heart leapt in his chest, until he noticed the short, blue haired figure driving it.

               Samantha Garnett parked the cruiser hastily, before abandoning it, and going straight for her own ship. A few of her personal lingered nearby. Hired muscle to help her move her product.

    “What are you dipshits standing around for? Move your asses! On the ship! Now! Go, go, go!” She waved her hands at them, and said something else, but Gladion couldn’t hear it, as he was led inside the ship, and forced down into a chair.

 

               After Nyx had dealt with the docking fee for her ship, she noticed the lightning. She regarded it with apathy, before noticing Samantha at her ship, with some of her hired help finishing loading up her remaining supplies. One of them drove a cruiser with a Skull logo up the cargo ramp, no doubt scavenged from somewhere.

    “Not staying to witness the fruits of your labor?” Nyx asked, catching Samantha’s attention.

   “Wha? Oh… no… I really don’t have an interest in watching idiots kill themselves.” She replied, her tone a little irate.

   “Shame… Hala seemed impressed with your stock. You could have a repeat customer.”

               At that, Samantha grinned, and drew a little closer.

    “Maybe so… maybe fuckin’ so…” She folded her arms, before looking at Nyx’s ship.

    “You’re taking off as well, huh? Scampering back to Lusamine? Does she have a little bell she rings, when she wants you?”

    “I’ve finished my mission here.” Nyx replied plainly, “I’ve got no further reason to stay.”

    “Is that so, huh?” She quirked an eyebrow, “Well then… happy trails.” Her eyes darted down to the blades on Nyx’s belt.

    “I know, I just know I’ve said this before… but those are some nice swords… If we ever bump into each other again, you’ll need to tell me where you got them.”

    “I made them myself.” Nyx said, dismissively. “They’re not for sale. What was it you said? Happy trails?” She forced a smile, before turning her back on Samantha and making her way towards her ship.

   “Ma’am! We’re ready for takeoff!” One of her laborers yelled to her, and Samantha scoffed in approval, before turning to jog towards her own ship.

               Aboard it, she spotted two of the palace guards, keeping an eye on Gladion, and dismissed them with a wave of her hand.

   “That’ll be all. Thank you for your assistance, and send Lord Hala my gratitude.”

               The two guards bowed, before taking their leave, and Nyx gave Gladion a lingering glance, studying his bonds They looked secure enough... but she wanted to be sure.

               She closed a restraining belt around his torso, and fastened it, before removing the gag from his mouth. He spat at her the moment he could. She’d expected this, and avoided it.

   “Fuck you! Let me the fuck out of here!” Gladion snarled, “You don’t need to treat me like I’m some kind of fucking animal!”

  “You brought this on yourself.” She said, before turning away from him, and taking a capsule from a nearby shelf.

   “Sleep… it’s a long ride home.”

               She poured a shimmering purple powder into her palm, and blew it, like a kiss, into his face. Gladion held his breath, trying to resist, trying not to breathe in… but quickly succumbed.

               Satisfied, Nyx entered the ships cockpit, bringing the engine to life, and preparing for takeoff. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Samantha’s ship doing the same, and making its way down the runway. She maneuvered her own ship to follow.

 

               The moment he heard the ship coming to life, Gladion cracked one eye open, and let out a breath. He felt woozy, no doubt he had inhaled some of that dust… but not enough to outright knock him out. He twisted his arms in the bindings, to no avail. Even if he could slip them, the restraints around his torso were tight. He looked around frantically for some means of escape. He felt the ship moving beneath him, going towards a takeoff.

               Thinking quickly, he raised his bound hands as high as he could, and bit at the rope. It tasted bitter, and didn’t break easily, but he kept gnawing away at it, hoping like hell it would break before they got too far.

               He didn’t break it, but he did loosen it. He felt the bonds give just a little, and felt a pang of elation. A little bit of wiggling and biting later, and his hands were free. After that, the restraints were easy to slip out of.

               Gladion stumbled as he was finally freed. His head was spinning, and the fact that the ship was taking off didn’t help either. He struggled to stay upright, before noticing the door to the cockpit up ahead. Grimacing, and forcing himself to focus, Gladion grabbed the rope Nyx had used to bind him, and made his way towards the door.

              

               The ship was airborn. Nyx’s small scouting ship outsped Samantha’s larger carrier, and she admired the rocky terrain of Mele, and the distant lightning, before inputting the proper co-ordinates, that would enable her to make a jump to lightspeed as soon as she’d cleared the atmosphere.

               The door opened behind her, and her shoulders tensed, knowing what would happen next. But she could do nothing to stop it. Gladion pulled the rope around her neck, cutting off her air supply as he tried to garrote her.

               The woman took one hand away from the ships controls, and tried to force the rope away from her neck, and to Gladions horror… she was succeeding. He’d underestimated just how strong Nyx was. Her fingers slipped between the rope and her neck, as she tried to push it away. He had seconds to spare, if that…

               He spotted the distant lightning, closer than before, along with Samantha’s ship just below them. His hand reached out, and jerked one of the sidesticks, forcing the ship down.

   “No!” There was genuine concern in Nyx’s voice as her ship suddenly entered a nose dive, headed straight for Samantha’s.

   “I’m getting off this ship!” Gladion growled.

   “You _WILL_ return to the Empress… you…. _WILL_ …”

               He felt Nyx’s free hand, wrestling with his for the control stick, trying to right the ship from its dive, but Gladion wasn’t out of tricks just yet. A light on the dashboard came on, just below a button that read:

               _Hyperdrive ready._

               Gladion pushed it.

 

               Aboard her ship, Samantha checked her account balances with a half-smile. She loved it when everything worked out the way it was supposed to. She looked over at some of her workers, who were checking the fastenings on the cruiser she’d brought.

    “Recheck the speeders too.” She ordered, “I don’t want them sliding around once we reach lightspeed.”

               She made her way up to the bridge, where her pilot was raising the ships altitude.

    “How’s she looking?”

    “Fine, ma’am. Just gonna wait for that ship above us to clear, and we’re good to go.”

    “Spec-fucking-tacular. The sooner we’re out of this shithole, the better…” She turned to leave once more, before her pilot spoke.

   “Hang on… the ship above us just went down?”

   “What?”

   “It’s coming down! It’s coming straight for us!”

   “Well what the fuck are you telling me for? Engage evasi—”

               The entire ship rocked from the sudden impact of Nyx’s ship, and Samantha was thrown from her feet.  

 

               The impact had all but knocked Gladion out. He’d been dashed against the rear of the cockpit, but shielded from the brunt of the collision. Nyx hadn’t been quite as fortunate. She was mostly unharmed, thanks to the ships shields, but sat limp in her chair, a few minor cuts on her face, but nothing serious. She was alive, but unconscious for the moment.

               Stumbling, Gladion blinked and looked out the front window of the ship. Not only was it completely shattered, but he could see inside the other ship! They’d pierced it like an arrow, and of what little he could see of the outside, they were both going down.

               Dizzy, in pain, and with his ears ringing, Gladion made his way past Nyx, and through the window, landing harmlessly inside Samantha’s ship.

 

    “Status report…” Samantha groaned as she picked herself up. She blinked a few times, before looking up at her cockpit.

    “Didn’t you fucking hear me? Status report!” She pushed her way towards the pilots seat, only to find her pilot slumped over in his seat, either unconscious or dead, and Samantha didn’t give much of a damn which at the moment. Growling, she undid his safety belt, and pushed him out of the chair, taking over for him.

               The rocky terrain of Mele was coming up faster and faster. They were plummeting to the ground.

   “Fuck, fuck, fuck fuck…”

               She tried to engage the thrusters, but they wouldn’t engage. Tried to deploy landing gear, but it wasn’t responding. The ships power was flickering, and in mere seconds, had all but died.

   “No, no… fucking, fuck no… no, no, no... You motherfucker NO!”

               She tried to deploy parachutes… but there was nothing she could do. Nothing except watch the ground come closer and closer until…

 

               The ship crashed nose first into the ground, kicking up rock and debris as it fell. Much of the front was crushed by the impact, and Gladion was thrown from his feet for a second time, and Nyx was violently shaken in her own seat. From the corner of his eye, Gladion saw her moving, starting to come to, and could hear her groaning in pain.

               Tripping over his own feet, he stumbled towards the rear of the ship. He could hear the groan of metal, as part of Nyx’s ship was lost, and hear her frantic breathing as she struggled to free herself from her safety belt, before the rest of her ship was lost with it.

               Gladion spotted the cruiser Samantha had come in on, and pressed the button to open the ships rear hatch. No luck, the ships power had gone down completely.

He saw Nyx dropping down gracelessly into the ship behind him, and pounded on the button again to no avail. Beneath it, he saw a switch.

 _Emergency ramp release._  
**Warning.  
Must be in atmosphere to trigger. Both releases must be triggered.**

He pulled it, and glanced around, looking for the second release, and checking on Nyx, who was rising to her feet, and taking her first few stumbling steps towards him. Gladion knew he couldn’t outmatch her in single combat… she was too strong, and too skilled. But he could run like hell.

               Gladion vaulted over the landcruiser, stumbling in his landing as he hurried towards the far end of the ships modest cargo hold, looking for the second release. Nyx stared at him, before following around the vehicle, and picking up her speed.

               The second release, was closer to the actual cargo door. Gladion was too weary to run, all he could do was stumble. He tripped over the unconscious body of one of Samantha’s crewmen. He’d hit his head on a weapons crate, and a shattered jar with some sort of spore sat beside him. Gladion swore he saw some motes disappearing up the crewman’s nose, but thought little of it. Up ahead, he saw the other release switch and grabbed at it.

               The ships cargo ramp fell open with little ceremony, crashing to the ground. Nyx was getting closer, and Gladion bounded over the landcruiser again, hastily trying to unfasten the restraints. Nyx caught on, and copied him, leaping over the cruiser, and charging him. Gladion was given no time to react before she seized him by the hair, and pinned him to the wall, a burning fury in her eyes.

    “This ends now.” She snarled, her tone as vicious as could be.

               She had nothing to drug him with, and that hadn’t even worked last time… so she settled for something a little more old fashioned to incapacitate the boy, forcing one hand around his neck, and squeezing. Gladion’s legs kicked out, he tried to claw at her face, but there was nothing he could do.

               A blaster shot struck the wall beside him, and Nyx let him go, spinning around to see who’d shot at her, before ducking into cover. Another surviving worker had taken up arms against them.

   “Fucking psychopaths!” They spat, firing at Nyx again.

               Gladion crawled towards the landcruiser, releasing some of the supports hastily, and watching as the vehicle started to slide towards the ramp. From her cover, Nyx could only watch, and curse under her breath.

               The worker drew closer to her cover, hoping to corner her, and Nyx drew her blades. She caught the man off guard, and before he could squeeze off another shot, she’d relieved him of his hand. As he opened his mouth to scream, most of his head came next, She’d cut just above his jaw, leaving the lower jaw hanging there, as the rest of his skull hit the ground.

               Her assailant dealt with, Nyx looked back over to Gladion, just in time to see him powering up the landcruiser. Their eyes locked, before Gladion powered up the engine. The few restraints keeping the cruiser in the ship snapped, as he made his escape, fleeing the crashed ship.

               Nyx swore, before spotting a speeder bike nearby. She sheathed her blades, and rushed towards it, picking it up and mounting it, before powering up the engine. Suddenly she felt an intense pain in her back. Her arms and legs refused to function, and she toppled uselessly off the speeder bike.

               From the corner of her eye, she saw Samantha come into view. The petite arms dealer was bloodied from the crash, but very much alive. A blaster set to stun sat comfortably in her hand.

    "I’m sorry, did you need that?” She knelt down beside Nyx. “Gonna partake in some ‘epic chase’ to complete your mission or whatever the fuck? Hate to burst your bubble, dipshit… but I’m not running a motherfucking charity here… You just crashed my fucking ship… I should blow your goddamn brains out just for that. I could do it too!” She pressed the blaster against her head.

     “But… right now, all I give a shit about is getting off this planet, and some bullshit like ‘revenge’ isn’t even on my priority list. So! You have fun doing whatever it is you’re doing. There’s another speeder lying around here… somewhere, I’m sure. But this one is mine.”  
               She stood up, and mounted the speeder for herself.

    “Happy trails, motherfucker.”

               She revved the speeders engine, before taking off from the wreckage to find another way off the planet. Nyx lay there for a few more moments, willing herself to move, until at last, she could.

               Groaning, she picked herself up, and took her comms radio off her belt. It’d been undamaged so far, and a quick test confirmed it still worked.

    “This is Knight Nyx Hyacinth. Requesting backup near these coordinates.” She sent her current location, before looking for another working speeder.


	14. The Tower

The sounds of battle raged from the caverns below, and Florie found herself wincing from the brightness of what she first thought was sunlight, as she left the underground portion of the tower. The light faded quickly, leaving her with the bitter realization that it was nothing more than a flash of lightning from the Tapu above her.

               Below ground, the tower had been nothing but stone stairs chiseled into the rock. Outside however, it barely resembled a temple.

               The tower rose upwards in one great spire, with countless floors, and one great staircase encircling around its interior. There were no walls. Only stone columns along the outside, supporting the massive structure. It looked as if it’d be easy to topple… and easy to topple off.

               Guzma pushed past her and stormed into the sunlight, scanning the skies for their drone, only to watch it going down in flames. Another quickly rose up to take its place.

   “Damnit…” He murmured, before looking at Florie and Zenith.

   “We’re outta time. Haul some ass, let’s kill this fucking thing!”

               Florie gave a curt nod, and started towards the next flight of steps, before Zenith interrupted her.

   “Hold up, we’ve got company coming! Three o’clock!”

               Both Florie and Guzma looked, off in the direction where the caverns had opened to the surface, and they could see it coming. A landcruiser, minutes away at best, and behind that, a speeder. Though neither Zenith nor Florie had seen him before, Lord Hala was instantly recognizable, standing at the rear of the cruiser in his golden armor. He leveled a lance at the three of them, and Guzma swore under his breath.

    “They figured us out…”

    “But they came by themselves.” Florie replied, “Zenith, cover me! I’m going for the Tapu!”

               With little time to think, Zenith managed a hasty nod, before aiming his blaster, and firing at the approaching vehicles.

 

               The first few shots struck the vehicle, and Moon swore, noticing the redhead making a rush up the stairs of the tower.

    “Sun, with me!” She demanded, and this time she didn’t need to ask twice. Moon set the cruiser on a collision course with the tower, before abandoning her post driving it. Hala seemed unconcerned, knowing that the two had their roles to fill… and he had his.

               The twins rose up, and channeled the Force, leaping high into the air, and landing, just barely on the level above the staircase Florie was ascending. She’d come to a dead stop as she saw them, eyes darting between the sibling Generals, as both drew their lightsabers, both a vibrant blue.

               Her eyes narrowed, as she went for her own. Her green lightsaber extended to meet theirs, and she let them come.

  


               Zenith’s shots had done nothing to stop the advancing vehicle. As the siblings had leapt from it, he’d been unable to do a thing to stop them, and his focus on the vehicle momentarily lapsed.

               Hala knew what was coming. Zenith was given a chance to see it as well. He could see Hala jump off the back, and land with a roll before the inevitable crash.

               As the impact came, Zenith scrambled out of the way. He didn’t see what became of Guzma, whether he’d been killed or gotten out of the way. He just saw Hala, unshaken from his jump, charging towards him, bladed lance in one hand, and a blaster in the other. The old man fired a shot at him that left a crater in the rock. Whatever pistol he was using, it packed a considerable punch.

               Zenith returned fire, before ducking into cover. He felt his cover tremble as Hala put a crater in it, and could hear the old man getting closer, before Guzma attacked.

               Skull’s leader leapt over the wreckage of the crashed vehicle, blindsiding Hala, and discharging several shots at him. With impressive speed, the old man disappeared behind one of the towers columns and reappeared with an excess of ferocity, slashing at Guzma from the side. He missed, mostly, but the blade of his lance sliced open his arm, earning a cry of pain from Guzma, and sending his pistol clattering to the ground.

               Out of pain and instinct, Guzma recoiled, and Hala leveled the blaster at his head. That was when Zenith emerged from cover, and fired off a single shot. He didn’t aim for Hala. He aimed for his blaster, and struck the power source dead on. There was a discharge of energy, and Hala winced, before pulling the trigger. Nothing happened. The blaster was too damaged to fire again, and it was discarded. Hala shot Zenith a quick, hateful look, silently marking him for death, before twirling his lance, and lunging at Guzma.

               Skull’s leader was ready this time, though. He grabbed the lance, and tried to wrestle it from Hala’s hands, and failing. For several moments, the two men grappled with the weapon, before Guzma threw the first punch.

               As they struggled, Zenith tried to aim at the old man’s head, hesitating for just a moment, before preparing to pull the trigger. He never got that chance, though.

               In the commotion, he’d forgotten about the speeder that had been behind Hala’s cruiser, and now that came back to haunt him. The only warning he got, was the snarl of the engine, before the speeder flew at him. He avoided it, but just barely. The edge clipped his shoulder, and the impact knocked him off his feet. The speeders pilot circled back, slowing down as they approached, before dismounting.

               He recognized the driver only from photographs. This was Nanu, the High Knight of Ula. Nanu pulled a blaster from his hip, and fired at Zenith, who rolled out of the way, blindly firing back and missing. The soldier hastily scrambled to his feet, narrowly avoiding another shot from Nanu, as he scrambled into cover.

  


               Florie was familiar with how to use her lightsaber, but she’d never encountered anyone else who used one, and Moon made for a more than formidable opponent. Her attacks were fast, brutal, and difficult to parry. Alone, she’d have been more than a match, but with Sun on her side, they were nigh unstoppable.

               Whenever Florie parried one, the other would attack from the other side. Sun slashed at her midsection, a slash she only barely avoided, and in her effort to evade, she found herself in the path of one of Moon’s attacks. She tried to use the Force to push her back, but Moon was stronger than that. The force push did nothing to her, and Florie was punished for her effort, by a kick to the chest, sending her toppling to the ground.

               Moon’s face was an expressionless glare, as she studied her opponent, while Sun avoided even looking at her.

    “Not bad for a novice.” Moon noted, “But I find it laughable that you could kill a Tapu… let alone our Tapu.”

               She allowed Florie a chance to stand, and ready herself. She was breathing heavily, and only barely ready when Moon came at her again, violently slashing at her, although slightly slower than before. Sun watched the two of them for a few moments, as if deciding if he even wanted to participate in this… or letting the fight be fair for just a short while.

               The lightsabers met, sending sparks into the air around their wielders, and Moon gave a hard push, forcing Florie back towards the edge of the tower, and her own lightsaber closer to her neck. Florie gave just a bit of ground, taking a step back. She knew there was nothing but a drop behind her, a possibly fatal one at that. Moon gave another push, hoping to send her over the edge. Eyes darting around like a cornered animal, Florie desperately searched for an escape. Somewhere to go. Some means of fleeing… She saw only one.

               Moon pushed again, and this time, Florie let her. She stepped back into the abyss, kicking off from it as she did. For a moment, Moon regarded her with shock, and seemed to expect Florie to fall, but she didn’t. She went up, and grabbed for the edge of the floor above her. Moon prepared to swing her lightsaber, a movement that would have bisected Florie, but Florie had expected that, and was just a bit faster. Moon’s intended attack was punished with a firm boot to the face, before Florie pulled herself up to the next floor.

               She quickly rose to her feet, and spotted the staircase upwards, before spotting Sun coming towards her. He’d seen what she’d been planning, and he’d gone straight to the next floor.

               Their lightsabers clashed, and parted quickly. Sun took a step backwards, sizing her up, before coming at her again. Moon had been faster, and more brutal in her attacks, but Sun was a different animal altogether. When he came at her next, he came low, slashing at her legs, while expertly avoiding her counterattack. Florie only barely evaded him, and nearly toppled off the edge of the tower for her trouble. Sun’s next attack came quicker. He didn’t try and overpower her, like his sister did. He tried to outmaneuver her, slashing wildly and swapping sides. It took everything she had to parry him, and she already felt herself being worn down. That was his plan, she realized… wear her down, and kill her.

               Their lightsabers met again, and she took the chance to throw all of her force against him, driving him back just a little, but enough for her to shift her position, and bring herself away from the edge of the tower.

               From the corner of her eye, she saw Moon reach that floor as well, lightsaber drawn and ready to continue the fight.

  


               The old man punched like a rolling bolder, and Guzma swore he felt his jaw crack. He backed up, just a little, and Hala swung the lance at his head, just barely missing. He took a hasty step back, spotting his abandoned blaster nearby, and took up a fighting pose.

    “C’mon old man… ain’t got any stamina?”

               Hala huffed in response, before reading his lance to run Guzma through. He only narrowly avoided it, and aimed a perfect kick at the Old Man’s face, before grabbing the lance, and trying to pull it from his iron grip. Hala did not give in easily, though. The old man swung the lance, and dragged Guzma along with it, taking his balance and sending him to the ground.

    “No discipline. No honor… That is why you’ll die today, Boy.” He moved in for the kill, and Guzma saw a flicker of movement behind his back. Hala let out a scream of agony, and lurched forwards, allowing Guzma to see twin daggers embedded in his back. He whirled around, coming face to face with Plumeria.

    “Ain’t no honor in war, Old Man.” She said coldly. Her eyes moved past Hala, and met Guzma’s. Her head tilted ever so slightly to the side, towards his discarded blaster, and Guzma understood.

    “Arrogant, blasphemous girl!” Hala screeched, spittle flying from his mouth. “ _I will slice you in two, **before I gut that traitorous boy!**_ ”

               Plumeria regarded him, and his threats with cold apathy. Both her daggers in his back, and otherwise unarmed… Plumeria stared death in the face, and was unimpressed.

               With a horrific war cry, blood and spittle flying from his mouth, Hala took one mighty slash at her. Plumeria evaded it with ease, sidestepping the first, and using the second as an opportunity to get behind them. In another swift movement, she pulled both of her daggers from his back, and listened to him scream. Hala whirled around, his face composed into a brutal glare, before coming for her again, like a charging bull, only to pause as he saw Guzma with his blaster back in his hand.

               Guzma fired his first shot, just barely missing Hala. The Old Man saw Plumeria coming from the other end, and spotted his out. He spun his Lance, swinging the blunt end of it at Plumeria’s head, and catching her in the temple. The sheer force of it, knocked her to the ground. Guzma fired another blast, this one striking the lance’s body. It snapped in half, drawing the old man’s attention. The blunt end of the weapon dropped to the ground, while the blade rested comfortably in his hand.

               In a few quick steps, he was nearly on top of Guzma, who squeezed the trigger for another shot, only for the blade of Hala’s broken lance to strike his blaster with nearly inhuman force. He’d never imagined such a thing could happen… but it did. The blade cut into the blaster, ripping it out of Guzma’s hands, and leaving it partially impaled on the blade.

               Before he could react, Hala slammed his massive skull against Guzma’s, sending him to the ground, and plucked the destroyed blaster off his blade, before casting it aside.

  


               A hail of blaster fire send Zenith even further from the tower. He’d taken cover in some of the rocks, just outside of its perimeter, while Nanu stood near that perimeter, his back to the battle between Guzma and Hala, as he hunted Zenith like prey.

               Zenith poked his head out from behind the rock he’d been using as cover, and spotted Nanu, eyes turned away, still searching for him. He squeezed off a hasty two shots, uncertain if he’d even hurt the man, and ducking out of the way before the retaliation could come. Silently, Zenith weaved between the rocks, cursing his bright hair, and his white outfit. Both made him stick out like a sore thumb.

               He scrambled between open covers momentarily, and was only barely missed by a shot from Nanu. Cursing again, he stopped his movements, and after taking a breath, took a peek out from behind his new cover. Nanu seemed to have expected him to have fled further, as he was moving along the towers perimeter. Zenith chose not to shoot at him, looking for some sort of means of survival that didn’t involve running.

               That’s when he saw it.

               Nanu passed under the cover of the tower, glancing back as Hala stunned Plumeria, and destroyed the blaster in Guzma’s hand. Zenith’s eyes lingered on them only momentarily, before he looked up at the tower itself.

               Age, and the crash from before had weakened the rock that formed it, and there were visible cracks along the ceiling. It was a risky maneuver… a bad shot could bring the whole damn tower down, but he didn’t have a lot of options. He saw Nanu’s eyes fixing on him. He saw his gun raising. He saw Hala raising his lance to kill Guzma.

               Zenith took the gamble.

               He loosed several shots at the cracked foundation of the tower. Hala looked up in alarm, as if he knew what was coming. Nanu on the other hand, had no idea.

               A portion of the tower collapsed, bringing down much of the second floor, and some of the third. Hala raised his arms to protect himself as he and Guzma were buried under debris. Nanu fired one shot off into the sky as the rocks cascaded down upon him. Plumeria had only just begun to rise to her feet, when the rocks fell. She clumsily scrambled out of the way, back down the stairs leading to the caverns below, and to relative safety.

               In the next moment, all was silent.

               Zenith breathed a sigh of relief, before breaking into a run back towards the tower. The staircase leading to what was left of the second floor seemed mostly intact, and he planned on climbing it.

               Then he heard the hum of an oncoming vehicle. He felt himself die a little inside, and turned, blaster in hand to face this next threat.

               The Landcruiser that came, had a Skull logo on it, and in the distance, Zenith noticed some sort of wreckage, along with another approaching speeder. This cruiser didn’t crash, and barely even stopped before its driver hopped out. None other than Gladion himself.

    “You?” He frowned when he saw Zenith. “Where’s Sun?”

    “Who the hell is ‘Sun?’” Zenith asked, not having taken the time to learn the names of the two murderous psudo-Jedi Generals that had jumped out of the first speeder to go and fight Florie.

               Gladion hastily looked around, spotting Hala’s armor amongst the rock, before deciding that whoever he was looking for, wasn’t there.

    “I’m going up.” He said, decisively, and Zenith put a hand on his shoulder.

    “You don’t even have a weapon! What are you gonna do? Run upstairs, grab whoever you’re looking for then drive away?”

    “Exactly.” Gladion said it with complete conviction, and Zenith could barely believe his ears.

    “Kid… I don’t know what kinda drugs your on right now, but that isn’t gonna work! Get out of here!”

    “Not without Sun!”

    “If he’s not dead already, he will be real damn soon!”

    “I don’t have a lot of time!” Gladion cried, gesturing to the approaching speeder. “That’s Nyx! You know who Nyx is, right? Well I just crashed her fucking ship into another ship! She is probably _pissed_ and I don’t have time to fuck around, so either help me, and maybe I’ll give you a seat on the only ride out of here, or you can stay here and explain to Nyx why you didn’t stop me!”

               Zenith looked over at Nyx’s speeder. He contemplated asking Gladion just what the hell made him think he wasn’t going to hand him over, but Gladion was already halfway up the stairs.

    “This is fucking bullshit… if we live through this, I swear I’m gonna strangle Florie…” He murmured, not truly meaning it. He hurried up the stairs, unaware of the shifting rock behind him.

 

              

               Gladion took the steps two at a time, nearly sprinting up them. Every chance he got, he scanned the horizon, hoping something would stop the incoming wrath that was Nyx. Nothing came. Samantha had unknowingly given him only a few minutes head start.

               Zenith tried to keep pace with him, unsure whether he should stop Gladion before whatever madness possessed him went too far, or whether he should accept his offer out of this hellhole.

               _Not without Florie._

That was the only thing he could think. He would not leave her to die here.

Only a few levels up, could they hear the sounds of lightsabers clashing. Gladion reached them first, and spotted Florie on the steps, trying to retreat upwards, her lightsaber sparking against Sun’s. Moon lingered nearby, letting her brother fight, but staying close as his guard. Her eyes darted over to Gladion, and widened.

   “You!” Unnoticed by either Florie nor Sun, she abandoned her post, and stormed towards him. She didn’t care if Sun was close by. She didn’t care if he saw, she didn’t care how Gladion had escaped. This had gone far enough. Gladion stumbled away from the stairs, out of the way of Moon’s lightsaber, and her violent slashes. He could no longer see Nyx approaching. She was likely at the bottom of the tower.

    “If you won’t go home, I’ll just have to send you to hell!” Moon growled, raising her lightsaber, before a blaster shot passed right in front of her face.

               She looked, spotting Zenith by the stairs, his gun aimed right at her. He fired again, and she deflected the shot, but that momentary distraction was more than enough, to let Gladion slip past her.   
  


    “SUN!” Gladion called, and the General only briefly stopped his attack, looking back at Gladion, eyes wide. It could have been fatal… his guard was down, and Florie’s lightsaber was in her hand.

               She took a step back, before ascending the steps to the next level, letting Sun’s mistake lie for now. Sun turned to look up at her, then quickly looked back to Gladion, before pursuing Florie.

                 


               Zenith only could watch as Gladion hurried up the stairs in pursuit of both Sun and Florie, and hold his ground, as he fired shot after shot at Moon. Every shot he loosed was clumsily redirected back towards him. A bad distraction at best, that only served to irritate Moon, who advanced on him.

               When Zenith was next attacked though, it came from behind, not from the front. Someone grabbed him by the neck, and hurled him to the ground. His blaster slipped from his hand, and plummeted over the edge of the tower, down to the ground.

    “Clever tactics.” Nanu hissed, “But not enough.”

               Zenith caught the gleam of a combat knife in Nanu’s hands, and only barely avoided it, when it came down near his head.

    “Go tend to your Brother!” Nanu called to Moon, and she didn’t need to be told twice. With Zenith disarmed and occupied, she hurried up the stairs to join Gladion and her Brother.  

               Zenith kneed him in the stomach, and forced him back just a bit, enough to allow Zenith a moment to stand. He drew his own service knife from his belt, and readied it for Nanu’s next assault. Nanu only regarded him quietly, before cracking a most unsettling smile.

   “Time for your dirt nap, kid.”

  


               Florie had sprinted up two levels by the time Sun caught up to her. His lightsaber swung at her head, and missed, a gesture that seemed almost deliberate. She read clear uncertainty in his eyes. Questioning if pursuing her had even been right.

               For a moment, the two stared each other down, before Gladion reached them again.

    “Sun!” He called, “Wait! Stop!”

    “You shouldn’t be here…” Sun replied, but his tone suggested that he wanted nothing more than the opposite. Florie took a step back, moving towards the stairs, and Sun let her move.

    “None of us should be here!” Gladion said, looking at Florie now. “Those drones are dropping fast. How many left before the Tapu realizes we’re here? Assuming it doesn’t know already.”

    “The drones did their job.” Florie replied, “It’s time for me to do mine!”

               Sun narrowed his eyes, grip tightening on his lightsaber, and then slackening as Gladion put a hand on his shoulder.

    “What if we don’t know what we’re doing?” Gladion asked, “Lillie spoke to me! In the complex! She said something… killing the Tapu’s might destroy the Universe. What if she’s right?”

    “She’s a little girl! These are just dumb animals!” Florie replied, “Destroying the universe? It’s a little much? Don’t you think?”

               From the corner of her eye, she saw lightning flash.

    “Lillie went out of her way to come here. To tell me what she told me… I should have listened…” Gladion admitted, “I’ll gladly tell her that if I see her again, but you have to consider that what you’re trying to do here is wrong!”

               Florie began to speak, but the sight of Moon ascending the stairs behind Gladion silenced her.

    “There’s a lot here that’s wrong.” She replied, her voice laced with venom. “You should have been dead by now…” She gestured to Florie, before looking at Gladion.

    “And you shouldn’t even be on this planet…”

               She took a step forward, powering on her lightsaber. The blue blade extended out.

    “Now… if my Brother would so kindly stand aside, I’d like to set some things right. If you won’t leave my planet, then you will both leave this life.”

    “Moon, don’t!” Sun protested, stepping between her and Gladion. “This has gone on long enough!”

    “I agree. Which is why I’m ending it. Get out of my way or I’ll kill you too!”

               She slashed at Sun’s head, and he raised his own lightsaber to parry it. Florie took another step towards the stairs, and sprinted up them, moving towards the Tapu, and though Gladion saw her, he did nothing to stop her.

    “You’ve let a crush stop you from doing your duty!” Moon hissed, “You aren’t a Guardian! You aren’t a soldier! You’re pathetic! All of you!” With one forceful push, she sent Sun staggering back, and went straight for Gladion. Sun only barely intercepted her.

    “I’m trying to stop the Tapu’s death! Just like you!” He argued, “So is Gladion!”

    “He was with Skull!”

    “He was with us!”

               The siblings pushed away from each other, and locked eyes.  
    “Who do you think was feeding me information? Who do you think helped us keep them at bay for so long?”

    “Then he’s as stupid as you are!” Moon spat, although there was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

     “Maybe.” Sun replied. “I love you, Moon. But I’m not letting you kill someone else I love.”

               No sooner had he said those words, than a figure appeared, ascending the stairs. Nyx looked worse for wear. Her outfit was dirty and torn. Her hair was a mess, and there was a primal rage in her eyes, that took a frightening form the moment she laid eyes on Gladion. She stopped beside Moon, her blades resting comfortably in her hands.

    “I’m afraid I won’t allow you to kill him either.” Nyx said, her voice calm despite the unmistakable rage written on her face, and Moon glanced at her.

     “But if you let me take him… then he will never trouble you again. This time, I guarantee that.”

     “You’ve already failed once.” Moon growled.

     “He proved more resourceful than I’d anticipated… the world hasn’t been kind to you, has it Prince Gladion?”

               Gladion didn’t answer, and he didn’t need to.

     “You’re not taking him again!” He warned. “If he goes, I go!”

     “Watch your terms, General. You’ll find I’m very agreeable… is that what you want? To be taken away from your home? Well… I suppose Empress Lusamine would like to know who her son has been associating with. The young Prince could do worse for himself.”

               She rolled her shoulders in a relaxed shrug.

               Moon looked between the three of them, thinking heavily, as Nyx began to advance on Sun and Gladion.

               She looked at her Brother… standing strong, even in the face of his own family, and an assassin he knew was beyond him.

               She looked at Gladion, a boy who’d chanced death, crashed a ship, hell, two ships, and run unarmed into a battlefield in the hopes of reuniting with someone he loved.

               Moon put her lightsaber in front of Nyx, stopping her from advancing further. The Assassin looked at the blue blade in surprise, then at Moon.

    “You won’t touch my Brother… and you won’t touch whoever he’s claimed.” She looked at Sun and Gladion, now.

    “Go stop that girl, before she makes a mistake that cannot be fixed. I’ll cover your backs.”

               For just a moment, Sun cracked a smile, and took Gladion’s hand, before hurrying up the stairs.

    “You’re making a mistake.” Nyx warned, backing off, as Moon prepared herself for another fight.

     “Perhaps…” Moon agreed, “But I doubt either of us will live long enough to know for sure.”


	15. Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative title of this chapter: "Assholes."

Skull’s compound was all but empty now. Guzma had taken all but a skeleton crew to his suicide charge. Those few who remained were either not fit for combat, or too young.

               They posted a meager guard, but no one came. Even if they had, those left were given orders not to fight, but to retreat. Scatter as quickly as possible, discard their uniforms and dissolve into the populace, and while some were bitter over this obvious defeatist tactic, others recognized the wisdom in Guzma and Plumeria’s final request. Some had even left already, taking the speeders and heading to the city to look for their families that they’d left behind, or try and find some future in the streets, if there was no family to go back to.

               Wandering through the makeshift garages she’d entered through, was Lillie. She’d dressed in a Skull outfit, and hidden her face with goggles and a bandana. Her hair was hidden under a bandana. It was a hasty disguise, but here it passed well enough. Nobody but Gladion knew she’d been here, and he’d walked right past her a few days prior, oblivious that she’d even been there.

               Lillie had bided her time. Tried to find the opportune moment and means of acting. But neither truly presented itself. Not even her disguise could hide her youth, and that denied her the opportunity to even get close to the preparations for the coming battle. Plumeria had, had the foresight to not allow any of the younger members of Skull close by while they’d prepared to ship out, suspecting that some young wannabe heroes might try and sneak in. Hell, they wouldn’t be members of Skull if they didn’t.  
  


               Now the fighting force was gone, and Lillie couldn’t wait any more. She searched for any set of keys she could use to start a vehicle, any vehicle. It didn’t matter if she didn’t know how to drive! She could learn on the go! Time was of the essence, and she couldn’t allow another Tapu to die! But the more she looked, the less she found and the less she found, the more hopeless she got.

               Sighing as she found another drawer filled with death sticks, duct tape and porno mags, Lillie dumped the contents on the ground in hopes she’d find something, and failed. The garages key vault was locked, and she couldn’t access it even if she’d tried. Seemed like there was no way to get her own speeder.

               Behind her, she noticed a couple of older Skull boys jogging past, heading somewhere in a hurry, and only paid them the briefest of mind, before moving on to the next cupboard she saw, when she heard a series of electronic beeps. She paused, and looked around the garage for their source, and spotted an astromech droid rolling in. It seemed to be looking around, and for a moment, she wasn’t sure what it was doing there, until she got a good look at it. The bright colors tipped her off.

               Jazz rolled into the garage, cursing as it did.

    “Why do I have to be the recon? We’ve got a perfectly good Alien on board but _nooo._ Make the fucking droid do it… I was comfortable until this…”

               Lillie bowed her head, pulling up her goggles, and bandana to try and hide herself as much as possible, before getting up and looking for an exit. The last thing she needed right now, was to be dragged back to Rico’s ship.

               Jazz rolled past her, and Lillie caught one of the droids electronic eyes briefly following her, before it moved on. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief, and glanced at Jazz once more as they stopped in the middle of the garage, letting out another series of beeps.

               Lillie ignored them, and made her way through a nearby door, and down a hall leading back into the temple. She could resume her search later! The most important thing was not being discovered! She glanced back at the door to the garage, before rounding a corner, and bumping face first into a broad white chest.

               Lillie stumbled back a step, looking up at its owner, and felt a stab of panic as she met the friendly eyes of Rico.

    “ _Ciao, Piccola!”_ He chimed, before leaning down in front of her, and pushing her bandana down.

    “That is not a bad disguise! But you can’t hide from Jazz!”

               The droid rolled up behind her.

    “I can’t believe you tried that shit on me.” They said, “Can we go now? I’m getting dirt in my treads and everything here is awful!”

    “ _Si, si,_ let’s go.” Rico took Lillie’s hand, before she could try and run.

    “No! Doctor Carillo, don’t! You have to let me go!”

    “It’s dangerous out here!” Rico warned, “We lose track of you for a day, you wind up in a military compound! I told you I would take care of you!”

    “And you’ve done a lovely job, Doctor, but I have work to do!” She protested, “I have to get to the Tapu! I have to save it!”

    “Florie’s probably already dragging its stinky carcass back to the ship. Get over it.” Jazz said, but Rico wasn’t quite as certain.

    “Save it? Whatever makes you say that?”

    “If Florie kills all four Tapu, she’ll collapse reality itself!” Lillie said, “She doesn’t know! She doesn’t get it! I tried to get Gladion but he…” She paused, “He threw me out… I was gonna try and join their fighting force but—”

    “You attempted to fight in a war?” Rico asked, “Do you want to die!”

    “I want to save the Universe!” Lillie snapped, finally pulling her arm free, but she didn’t run. Maybe… just maybe she could convince Rico.

    “Look… I can show you my proof. I can show you everything. But by the time I do, the Tapu will already be dead, and everything we know will be halfway gone! If you want to help me, then trust me, and if you don’t, then I’ll fight you every step of the way until you let me try and fix the damage that Florie and my Mother are trying to do!”

               Rico paused, thinking it over.

   “Come with me to the ship… I can promise I will take you to the Temple, but you have to promise me to stay on board, and not do anything impulsive!”

               Lillie didn’t look willing to make that promise, but it was the closest thing she was going to get to what she wanted. She nodded quickly.

    “Fine…”

    “ _Meraviglioso!_ Now… tell me what will happen if we kill the Tapu…”

               Lillie told him everything.  


***

 

    “Papa! The lightning’s getting worse!” Zero said into the comms. Aboard the ship, she and Rotom would be safe. But she worried about Rico and Jazz… and Lillie, assuming they found her.

   “We’re returning!” Rico replied, “We found Lillie!”

   “Thank the maker.” Rotom sighed from its place in the cockpit. “I was really worrying there!”

   “Papa has good intuition.” Zero said, before glancing at the distant lightning. She left the cockpit, stopping briefly at the fridge for something to chew on before looking out the portside window. She could see smoke from the wreckage of the ship that crashed in the distance, and frowned, hoping whatever caused that, would not soon be on her ship too.

               A dot in the distance had appeared in the dimming light. She narrowed her eyes and took a look, at what appeared to be an approaching speeder.

    “Rotom, check the scanners.”

    “On it.” The droid paused, before saying. “We have one fast approaching life form. Coming straight for us. Heat trails indicate it’s coming from the wreckage. Survivors maybe?”

    “Maybe.” Zero murmured, before going to Zenith’s makeshift armory, and preparing a blaster for herself, just in case.

               She returned to the window, watching as the speeder drew closer, and noticing the shapes of Rico, Jazz and Lillie emerging from Skull’s compound, and making a dash for the ship. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw what would happen next, and was given no way to warn them.

               The speeder came at them in an instant, cutting in front of them and kicking up dirt and dust, before letting their speeder bike fall. They however landed perfectly on their feet. Rico made a grab for his own blaster, but the assaulting figure was faster, snatching Lillie by the hair, and pressing a gun to her head.

 

 

    “I wouldn’t, if I were you.” Samantha said coldly to the kindly looking man with a muttonchop beard. She held the struggling blonde child close, her blaster pressed to her head.

    “See… I don’t like hurting kids… but you gotta do what you gotta fucking do.

   “Okay… okay, no blaster!” Rico said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, and holstering his weapon. “What are you after? Money? What?”

    “I want off of this fucking planet.” She replied, “See… there’s some REAL bad shit that’s about to go down… and you folks look like you’re leaving anyways.”

   “ _Si.”_ Rico admitted, spotting Zero on board the ship, a blaster in her hand, aimed at the back of Samantha’s head.

    “This doesn’t need to end in violence. Put down the gun.”

    “Not until I’m on your ship.” She gestured with her blaster. “Start walking, muttonchops.”

               Rico gave a brisk nod, before slowly moving towards the ship, Samantha turned to follow him, and as she did, noticed Zero for the first time. She scoffed, but didn’t let Lillie go.

    “Figured you had a friend.” She murmured. 

   “You want on this ship, or not?” Rico asked,

   “Yeah, yeah… nice and slow, smooth and easy like soft little kittens, yeah?” She took a few steps forward, dragging Lillie in front of her. Jazz wheeled past her, seeming to glare at her, before entering the ship.

    “Papa…” Zero asked anxiously, blaster aimed at Samantha’s forehead.

   “Hold your fire, Zero.” Rico replied, “Nobody needs to die here…”

               Carefully, they ascended the ramp, and entered the ship together. As soon as it closed, Samantha seemed to relax a little, but didn’t dare let Lillie go.

    “I’m going to the cockpit, alright?” Rico said, and looked down at Lillie, “Are you going to let her go?”

    “How about no? Alright?” Samantha asked, “You’re gonna take me fucking far away from this shithole, then I’ll let the brat go! Those are my terms, take ‘em, or I’m gonna redecorate this lovely clean ship… I’m thinking red would be a nice color…”

    “Fine, have it your way.” Rico said, before giving Zero a knowing look, and heading for the cockpit. Moments later the ship came to life, and Samantha tightened the grip of her arm on Lillie. The girl shifted uncomfortably, trying to look at the gun against her head, and briefly looking at Zero, who seemed intense, yet apologetic.

               Lillie seemed to think it over, before opening her mouth, and biting down hard on Samantha’s arm. The woman let out a snarl of pain, and released her grip for just a moment. Long enough for Lillie to slip away from her.

               Zero fired her blaster, missing and striking the wall, and Samantha prepared to retaliate, when Rico hurriedly returned.

   “STOP! You want to crash this ship? You want to end up like the one over there?” He gestured vaguely, but they knew what he meant.

               Grimacing, Samantha lowered her weapon.

    “Not willing to try my luck with two ship crashes in one day…” She murmured.

    “You’re a survivor from that wreck?” Zero asked.

    “It’s my fucking ship that went down! Some goddamn lunatic went into a dive! They must’ve tried to reach light speed in atmosphere cuz they goddamn impaled us!”

    “And then you try and hijack our ship?” Zero asked. Samantha shrugged, watching as Rico gave them both a disapproving glare before returning to the cockpit.

    “I wasn’t about to chance it on asking nicely, on the off chance you wound up being assholes… you still might be assholes, I haven’t made up my mind yet…”

               She glanced at the window, keeping one eye on Zero, before swearing.

    “We’re going straight… why are we going straight, why aren’t we exiting the atmosphere? Did you not hear me? Those Skull people are trying to kill the Tapu! I dunno if any of you are meteorologists but do you know what’s gonna happen when they do? Two words for you! Lightning Hell!”

    “They wouldn’t be killing the Tapu if you hadn’t supplied them!” Lillie shot back, “I saw you in the complex! You’re an arms dealer!”

    “I am an entrepre-fucking-neur!”  Samantha shot back, “They paid money! It’s not MY fault they don’t know they’re trying to fucking kill themselves!”

    “Wait, what happens if you kill the Tapu?” Rotom asked, emerging from the cockpit. Samantha rolled her eyes.

    “Tapu Koko’s something of a lynchpin on this planet. The electromagnetic bullshit, whatever, blah, blah is really fucky and he makes it less fucky. Ergo, someone fucks him up the ass, he loses control of the electromagnetic bullshit, and shit gets fucked real fast! This whole planet is a goddamn deathtrap! Hell, for all I know the electricity might be what’s holding the planet together and this place is gonna collapse in one giant gangbang of lightning, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanos!”

    “We need to get to Missy Flo!” Rotom said.

    “Who? The redhead? Buddy… she’s probably LONG dead by now. What we need is to get the fuck off this planet!”

               Taking one more glance at Zero, she made her way towards the cockpit.

    “Do you hear me, Muttonchops? THE. FUCK. OFF. THIS. PLANET!”

    “Would you kindly stop yelling at me?” Rico asked, looking over at her, “As of now, I am flying the ship, _si?_ So, you may have a gun, and you may like waving it around at little girls… but I am in control. I understand that you are scared, and I understand that you are an asshole. But if you keep provoking me, I may lose control of this ship and crash it into the ground at light speed… because if it happened once, it can happen again, right?”

               Samantha blinked at him, and realized he wasn’t bluffing.

    “Y-you’re fucking with me, right…?”

   “Please don’t say such things around a child. It’s inappropriate. Just sit back, let me take care of my friends, and then you can get off this planet. I promise, it will be fine.”

   “Fuck, fuck _fuuuuuck!”_ Samantha stormed away from the cockpit like a child having a tantrum, as Lillie, an actual child, regarded her with clear annoyance.

    “Why’d I have to pick the ship full of _FUCKING PSYCHOPATHS! **WHO’S FUCKING ASSHOLE DO I HAVE TO FIST TO GET THE MOTHERFUCK OUT OF HERE?!**_ ”

               Zero tentatively raised her hand.

    “Um… what’s an asshole?”

               Samantha just stared at her, before calmly sitting down, and shaking her head.


	16. Ascension

             Just steps away now. Florie could feel the static in the air, tingling against her skin. She could swear she heard the breathing of the Tapu, in sync with her own. Her lightsaber was ready, as she stared at the final staircase leading to the top of the tower.

            Daylight was fading. In the distance, she saw smoke from the wreckage of a crashed ship. She saw another Drone going down, and moments later another taking its place. She could hear fighting below her. The sound of a lightsaber, the grunts of exertion. But it was beneath her. All that lie ahead was the Tapu.

            She took another step forward.

    “Florie, stop!”

            The voice came from Gladion, and she turned to see him at the top of the stairs behind her, his General friend, (if he was a friend) right behind him.

    “Think about this!” Gladion warned.

    “You never said anything before this? Why come running now?” She asked, staring him down, and keeping a careful eye on Sun, lest he attack her again.

     “I don’t know… I wasn’t sure what to think… Before you and Lillie showed up, before she talked to me, I didn’t ever believe they could do it!”

     “You didn’t care.” Florie corrected, and looked at Sun, “You thought you could stay with Guzma, and run off with his enemies on the side, didn’t you? Is that it? You thought this would fizzle out. Things would calm down. Nobody would die. Nothing would change.”

    “Yes!” Gladion had never said it out loud like that before, but God he meant it now, “You think Guzma stood a chance in hell of getting here? Even with you, they’re wiping out Skull as we speak! I don’t even know if he’s alive right now! You made him move! You and Aether…” He shook his head.

    “Should have known, Mother would find me... should have figured she’d ruin everything…”

            Sun gripped his shoulder, and spoke in Gladion’s stead.

    “Look… maybe he’s naive. Maybe I was too! I never, ever believed they’d get this far! But we’re here now, and I’m begging you to stop! The Tapu is more important than any of us know! We’ve already lost one! Do you think the Universe can afford to lose another?”

    “Another false God?” Florie asked, and gestured out to the desolate land surrounding the tower.

    “All I see is a territorial animal, killing anything that gets close to its nest! It’s powerful, so you worship it. Maybe it made sense once, but does it still? We can cross the galaxy at the speed of light! We can heal injuries like never before! We can do more than ever before, why do we need the Tapu? What do they do, other than destroy?”

    “Creation and destruction are part of the balance.” Sun replied, and Florie shook her head.

    “Maybe… but that includes their destruction too.”

            Once more she turned, headed for the stairs. Sun went for his lightsaber, but Gladion stopped him.

    “Don’t…”

    “I can stop her!” Sun insisted, “I’m stronger!”

            But Gladion heard the uncertainty in his voice. He gave Sun’s arm a pull.

    “Let’s go… before whatever happens next.”

 

           

            Coughing from the dust, Plumeria shoved a large rock out of the path of the stairs leading down into the caverns below. She cracked her knuckles, before scanning the area for Guzma. She’d hoped he’d avoided the falling rocks… but she knew she couldn’t be sure.

    “Guzma?” She called, “GUZMA?”

    “Plumes!”

            His voice came from a small pile of debris, where Plumeria saw Hala’s body. He’d taken a hard hit to the head, but she didn’t care enough to check to see if he was truly dead. She spotted Guzma trying to worm his way out from beneath Hala, and some rocks. Quickly, she rushed to help him, freeing him quickly.

     “Old bastard covered me…” Guzma murmured, “Guess he was good for somethin’ after all.”

    “What’s going on up there?” She asked, “Where’s Florie? What about Gladion, or Zenith?”

    “Lost track of our Aether buddies.” Guzma confessed, “I think I saw Florie try and hoof it up the tower. No idea where Zenith is. He disappeared after the collapse. As for Gladion, I thought he was with you? I don’t think I’ve even seen him today.”

    “I checked in with the troops before Hala’s troops attacked. He wasn’t there.” Plumeria said, “I thought maybe he’d slipped past me and followed you.”

    “Damnit… you’re sure he’s not in the caverns?” Guzma’s voice cracked a little, and Plumeria’s eyes narrowed.

     “If he is, he’s probably dead by now… they were holding the line, last I saw, but it was getting awful quiet by the time I dug my way back out.”

    “Fuck…” Guzma looked up the tower, “Alright. Well, assumin’ Florie’s even still alive. I figure sure might need a hand. Best case scenario, we kill it and make a run for it.”

    “Worst case scenario?”

    “This would be it.”

            The two locked eyes.

     “Well… it’s not like I didn’t sign up for this…” Plumeria murmured, and watched as Guzma turned to ascend the broken steps.

    “Wait.”

            He paused only briefly, as she grabbed him by the coat, and pulled him closer into a quick, but meaningful kiss.

     “That for being alive?” Guzma asked, cracking a half smile.

     “Somethin’ like that.” She replied, before giving him a pat on the rear. “Move it.”

            Together, they ascended.

 

 

            Moments after Guzma and Plumeria had left, Hala stirred, and rolled over, groaning as he did.

    “Bastards…”

            He coughed, spitting out dust and blood, before slowly rising to his feet, and looking around. He knew where the battle was, and he knew what he had to do. Weary, but not defeated, the old man began the climb.

 

           

            It wasn’t that far up, until the first of Plumeria’s many questions were answered, that one being: ‘where was Zenith?’

            The Aether soldier and the Knight weaved past each other in quick, aggressive attempts to stab each other, before both backing off. Nanu moved with a calmness that seemed inappropriate for a knife fight, but it allowed him to easily evade Zenith’s quick and aggressive moves. Zenith on the other hand seemed to stumble away from Nanu’s counterattacks.

            He flipped his blade from a stabbing, to a thrusting stance, and licked his lips nervously, watching Nanu intently, before spotting Guzma and Plumeria, both staring at him. Nanu sensed the lapse in his focus, and made a move, making a wide slash towards Zenith’s throat that only barely missed. As Zenith evaded, Nanu’s free hand caught him by the throat, and Zenith punished his proximity with a knee to the groin, that earned a grunt of pain and nothing more from Nanu. It bought him just enough time to slash at the Knight’s face, forcing Nanu to lean back, and opening up Zenith to kick him off completely.

            As he did, Nanu finally noticed their audience.

    “Go!” Zenith yelled, “I’ve got this!”

            Plumeria’s hands rested on her daggers, and slackened as Zenith yelled a second time.

   “GO!”

            Guzma made a dash for the steps, and Plumeria followed. Nanu glanced at Zenith, as if deciding which to focus on.

   “Uh-uh! No! You and me, old man!” Zenith said, readying his knife again. “We started this! We’re gonna finish it!”

            Nanu grunted in reply, sizing up his opponent again, before letting him come.

Zenith threw himself at him, and Nanu only barely avoided being stabbed in the chest. He seized Zenith by the hair, and dragged him, pushing him towards the edge of the tower. Predictably, Zenith grabbed a column to prevent himself from toppling over, and that was what Nanu had been counting on.

            His hand locked around Zenith’s neck, and he drove his knife uncomfortably under his arm, not stabbing him, but pinning him to the column.

    “It’s finished.” He replied harshly, before headbutting him. The first impact only dazed him, and caused him to drop his knife. It took a subsequent two punches to the face to actually knock him out.

            Nanu huffed, and picked up Zenith’s dropped combat knife. For a moment, he considered cutting his throat. Just a moment, though.

            No honor in killing someone he’d already beaten, and Zenith hadn’t been present when his Tapu had died. No… he was just a distraction, not worth a warriors death.

            Nanu turned, and made his way back to the stairs. Those blasphemers, now they were people worth killing.

 

           

            Several floors above, Nyx and Moon remained locked in combat. It was an unfair battle. Their blades could not meet. A touch from Moon’s lightsaber would cut clear through one of Nyx’s blades, and she knew that. But she hardly seemed worried.

            Moon’s fast, agile and ruthless style seemed too slow for Nyx, who weaved around her like a shadow, lazily slashing at her sides and back. It was like fighting a cat.

            Moon lunged, nearly taking off Nyx’s head, and struck the column of the temple instead. She let out a sharp cry as she felt her cold steel blade rake against her arm, leaving a shallow cut, and caught an ever so slight twitch at the corner of Nyx’s mouth.

            Moon quickly took a few steps back, studying her opponent, and her injury. It wasn’t more than a scratch… nothing that could keep her down.

            Letting out a fierce war cry, the General charged Aether’s Knight, missing her again as Nyx slipped past her, and punished her with a stern kick in the ribs, sending her stumbling.

            From the corner of her eye, Nyx spotted two figures she knew only by description. Guzma and Plumeria, joining them on that floor. They stared, only momentarily, uncertain of what to make of the battle before them.

            Nyx could hear Moon’s footsteps coming, and ducked another swing of her lightsaber, refocusing on her.

            Though Moon saw both Guzma and Plumeria, as they decided to leave this battle alone, she took no action. She had Nyx to deal with. Sun could decide what would be done with those two.

 

           

            It was as they reached the next floor, when Guzma and Plumeria encountered Gladion and Sun. Like he had with Florie, Sun went for his lightsaber, and likewise, Plumeria went for her daggers. Gladion held up a hand, silently demanding they both stop.

    “We’re all on the same side.” He said, although admittedly, he wasn’t so sure of that.

    “Well isn’t that great? Where’s Florie?” Guzma asked.

    “She’s challenging the Tapu.” Sun replied, and Guzma smirked, before making his way towards the next set of stairs.

    “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.” Sun warned.

    “You don’t even have a weapon.” Gladion added.

    “I got this.” Guzma pulled a knife from his jacket, “It’ll be enough.”

    “Even so, I can’t even say what will happen if she succeeds! We can’t afford to stay here! We may all end up dead!”

    “You’ll get yourself killed.” Plumeria noted.

    “Then come with me! You too, Jedi boy! Come on! We made it! We’re a few floors away! We’re so close!”

    “Maybe this is as close as we should get.” Plumeria replied, and looked up as thunder sounded from above. The fighting had clearly already begun.

   “No, NO! You ain’t crapping out on me now! Not after all this! I ain’t letting that girl go up there and fight my fuckin’ battles for me! It wasn’t her fight! She didn’t get us here, I did! You did! Fuck, Gladion and General Moon did!”

    “I’m Sun.” Sun pointed out.

    “Whatever! The time is now! We act now! I can’t do it without you! I didn’t come this far alone…” The last thing he said was quieter, sadder almost, and he reached out to take Plumeria’s hand.

            She squeezed it, and avoided his eyes, before sighing. Even after all that. She would have said no. She would have turned him down.

            How far was too far? Was the cusp of victory too far? Assuming victory hadn’t already been achieved. Perhaps this whole thing had gone too far… perhaps it was 34970 words of unintelligible nonsense, told by some lunatic as a sick joke.

            She never got to say any of that, however. Guzma’s eyes widened, and before she could speak, he threw her to the ground. All she could feel was a rush of air, where her back had been moments ago, and she caught a brief glimpse of an armored figure staring down Guzma.

            The same armored figure who’d been battling Zenith a few floors below.

 

           

            Nanu had missed Plumeria, but Guzma was still right there. He took a step towards him, before Plumeria’s leg shot out, catching him in the knee, and then in the stomach. She leapt to her feet, and drew her daggers.

    “I got ‘im!” She said, “Wanna be a backstabber, huh? Alright… I can play that…”

            Nanu huffed in approval, before letting her make a move. Their blades clashed, catching him off guard. He’d expected something more akin to what Zenith did. Adrenaline fueled violence, brought about by fear. Plumeria fought with technique.

            She caught him in the stomach with a firm kick, knocking him back a few steps and winding him.

    “C’mon! Kick his ass, P!” Guzma cried, before noticing another newcomer.

            Golden, bloody and furious, Hala ascended the stairs, clutching the blade of his broken lance. He surveyed the scene before him, eyes narrowing as he spotted Gladion and Sun together.

     “General.” He snarled, taking a step closer, “I see your lightsaber isn’t drawn… I see your Sister fighting our trusted envoy of Aether… and I see you amongst a crowd of blasphemers.”

     “Lord Hala… I…”

     “Spare me your words boy. I know what this is… weakness. I always saw it in your eyes. Do you know what makes a man weak, Sun? A weak man will not die for what he believes in! Will not die for what he loves! You chose this…” He gestured to Gladion, “This rat… you could have had any boy, any girl on this planet… and you chose the rat.”

    “Don’t you fuckin’ talk to my boy like that!” Guzma snarled, getting between Gladion and Hala. He glanced at Nanu and Plumeria, aware of what was happening, but too distracted by each other to engage.

    “Do not address me, Blasphemer!” Hala roared, “Your death is long overdue.”

    “You’re already bleeding, old man!” Guzma spat, readying his knife, “Bring it the fuck on! I’ll bleed you quick!”

            Chuckling, Hala started towards him, his shuffling walk turning into a barreling charge. He caught Guzma off guard, and forced him to the ground, before hammering his meaty fist into his face, over, and over, and over again. His nose snapped, blood flecked across the tile, and Hala stopped just short of killing him.

    “Old Man, you call me… but you see, boy, I AM a Man! I am not a coward! I will KILL for my beliefs! I will KILL for my Tapu!”

            He rose to his feet, leaving Guzma bloodied and half dead below him. His eyes settled on Gladion and Sun.

    “And before I kill you… you will witness my conviction. See how a traitor and a rat die!”

            Sun tried to usher Gladion behind him. His hand was on his lightsaber, but he couldn’t draw it. Not to his Lord… not to Hala.

 

 

            Plumeria tried to break away from Nanu, only to find the Knight blocking her.

    “I am your opponent.” He said, “You want to save them, you deal with me!” He slashed at her throat, sending her stumbling back a few steps.

 

 

    “Stop!” Sun said, but his voice seemed meek. “Please… Lord Hala, it’s not what you—”

    “Use that lightsaber, boy! Strike me down!” Hala snarled, but Sun did not.

    “Weak…” He spat, before pushing Sun out of the way, and advancing on Gladion, the tip of his dagger in his hand.

    “It’s time someone killed this Rat! If your sister won’t do it, I WILL!”

            He raised the lance, and brought it down towards Gladion’s chest. For an instant, Gladion expected it to hit him. But it didn’t.

            Guzma picked himself up, and tripping over his own two feet, launched himself at Hala, catching him by the midsection and sending them both towards the edge of the tower. Hala only seemed to stumble, while Guzma rose shakily to his feet.

    “Get away from my boy, you son of a bitch…” He rasped through broken teeth, before he lunged again, half blind from the blood in his eyes, but determined. His blade missed, and Hala punished him with a mighty blow to the stomach, before driving his lance into Guzma’s throat.

            Guzma let out a strangled sound, suddenly unable to breathe, and his body went limp. He leaned against Hala, who drove the blade deeper and deeper.

    “Weak until the end…” He growled. But he didn’t see.

            Guzma’s leg had pressed against a nearby column, and with the last of his strength, he used it to push off. It wasn’t much… but it was enough.

            Hala’s foot slipped, he let out a gasp of surprise, realizing what was happening, and tried to lean forward, but with Guzma pressing against him, his body quickly turning to dead weight, it was all but impossible.

            Slowly, Hala tilted backwards, panic written all over his face, and in an instant, both he and Guzma were gone with nothing but a scenic view where they’d been moments before.

    “GUZMA!” Gladion scrambled towards the edge of the tower, looking over and seeing, far down below, two bodies as they were dashed against the rocks.

            Neither moved again.

 

           

            The shock proved an ample distraction. It overcame everything else, including Nanu, and it was the perfect window.

            Plumeria was knocked off her feet, and sent sprawling to the ground. Before she could rise, Nanu delivered a merciless kick to the side of her head, and sent her into unconsciousness.

            The Knight grimaced, before stepping over her, and glancing threateningly at Sun, who barely acknowleged him. He’d run to Gladion’s side, and he did nothing to stop Nanu as he made his way up the stairs towards Florie and the Tapu.


	17. The Tapu

    Tapu Koko levitated before her, radiating a quiet rage as it did so. It was more humanoid than Tapu Bulu had been, with glaring eyes set into its small black head. Its shell rested on its arms, and it regarded Florie with a bitter spite. Charred bones, collected rocks and bits of tribute vegetation denoted the Tapu’s nest, as did a smell of burning that filled the air.

   **_“You’ve ascended my tower, Godkiller.”_ ** It said. It’s voice echoing in her head.

    “I’ve come to kill you.” Florie said, her lightsaber at the ready.

   ** _“This I know.”_** It spoke as if it had accepted this truth, or worse yet… as if it had wanted it. As it spoke again, she could hear the challenging spite in its voice.

    _ **“But you will fail. You’ve come this far for nothing, Florie Lantana. I will burn you from this Galaxy, along with your sins. I will leave nothing but your charred skeleton as a reminder of what befalls those who bring forth the wrath of the Tapu, and all will look upon your burnt skull and know our power!”**_

                            Without warning, a towering bolt of lightning came crashing down where Florie stood. She dove out of the way, and scrambled to her feet to avoid a second blast of lightning. There was no time to attack. No time to fight. Only time to run. She swore she could hear the God laughing at her desperate attempt to survive it’s onslaught.

   _ **“COME NOW! SURELY YOU DID MORE THAN RUN WHEN YOU MURDERED MY BROTHER!” It growled, “ARE YOU NOT A JEDI? ARE YOU NOT A WARRIOR! FIGHT ME! FIGHT ME!!!!!!”**_

                            The lightning came again and again, and it took everything Florie had to evade it. There was no mercy in the Tapu’s movements. It struck in front of her, behind her and beside her. She stumbled, and nearly toppled off the tower before righting herself and avoiding another bolt. She tried to get closer, only for a continued jolt of lightning to come between them.

                            She noticed someone else ascending the stairs to join them, and recognized Nanu. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw him, tragically underprepared with just Zenith’s combat knife to fight with.

                            Tapu Koko saw him too, and paused it’s attack to acknowleged him.

    “My Tapu! I’ve come to aid you!” Nanu said, and approached, only for a bolt of lightning to strike near him.

    _ **“ _B_ e gone from my sight, Failed Knight!” **_  Another lightning strike drove Florie back before she could make a move on the Tapu.

    _ **“This is your doing… a consequence of YOUR failure to uphold your holy oaths, and protect my Brother! You are not worthy to fight alongside me, and I will not permit you redemption… no… this Girl, this Murderer, this so called Godkiller will die by MY hand!”**_

                            Nanu seemed speechless and slightly taken aback.

     “Tapu Koko… I…”

    _ **“SILENCE! You have already failed… I’ve no interest in watching you do so again. Leave with your life, Knight, while I still permit it.”**_

                            The Tapu’s attention returned to Florie, who tried to draw close again. It raised its arm, sending a bolt of lightning down that she only barely evaded, but she did get closer, almost close enough to…

                            As her lightsaber went down, a blast of lightning struck it, shorting out the weapon and leaving Florie momentarily defenseless. The Tapu slammed its shell against her body, knocking her aside, and chuckled, before preparing another merciless lightning strike. It never hit. Florie was on her feet and running before it could, but her lightsaber was down for the moment… she was defenseless.

 

                           

                            Nyx was growing bored of this. Moon was growing tired. The General was panting, her skin having paled just a little during their fight, and Nyx regarded her quietly, taking a step back towards the stairway leading up.

    “No…” Moon growled, “No, you stay here… you fight me!”

    “I’m not interested in you.” Nyx replied. “You… you’re barely relevant to me…”

                            At that, Moon slashed at her again, her lightsaber cleaving through the rock as Nyx effortlessly avoided her, and easily avoided her next slash as well. Moon’s weakness left her wide open… just enough for Nyx to deliver a powerful kick to the girl’s chest, and send her toppling backwards.

                            Moon lay there, groaning and rolling onto her hands and knees, and Nyx paid her only a little bit of mind before going after Sun and Gladion. Slowly, Moon started to rise, but collapsed again. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She felt like she wanted to vomit. This wasn’t fatigue… this was…

                            She looked at the scratch on her arm. In just a short time, it seemed to be blackening. Her joints hurt. It was getting harder and harder to move and focus.

                            No… Not like this… I can’t die like this…

                            She tried to stand, groaning as she did, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Weakly, she looked up to see another Aether guard, the one with the pink and green hair that she’d seen with Guzma at the bottom of the tower.

                            Zenith offered her a hand, helping her to her feet.

    “Why…” She murmured.

    “Your arm” Zenith replied, “I can connect the dots.”

    “Then you know what to do…” Moon sighed, swaying uneasily as she stood again.

    “Yeah, I know… look, I don’t know who’s side anyone’s on anymore. You, Gladion, Sun, whatever… I guess we can sort all this out later. Just… can you hold on? Can you keep going?”

                            Moon forced herself to nod.

    “Just hold out a little longer, then… On my way up here, I dropped a beacon for our ship. We’ve got evac inbound. You understand? We’ve got friends who are coming!”

    “Friends?”

    “One of them is a doctor. Maybe he’ll have an antidote for you!”

    “Antidote…” Moon nodded in understanding, “Okay… okay…”

                            She pushed away from Zenith, and started towards the stairs.

    “Kill Nyx… then antidote…” She murmured.

    “That’s it!” Zenith followed behind her, his radio crackling as he did so. He heard Jazz’s voice.

    “ETA Five minutes give or take. We see the tower. Some shits going on up there, so try not to die, okay?”

    “I read you!” Zenith replied, “Jazz, tell Doc to prep medical. We’ve got a few extra passengers. One’s wounded.”

    “What kind of wounds?” That voice came from Rico himself.

     “Nyx.” Zenith replied, and Rico went silent.

    “Doc?” Zenith asked, “Rico, come in!”

    “I’ll see what I can do. Keep them alive.” Rico replied, before the comms went dead.

 

 

                            Nyx ascended the steps, only to find Gladion and Sun at the edge of the tower, looking over, as if something had fallen. No trace of Nanu, Hala or Guzma, and she spotted Plumeria on the ground nearby, unconscious.

                            She didn’t speak. Only approached, and Sun noticed her first. His eyes widened in shock.

    “No…” He rose to his feet, extending his lightsaber. “NO! Where’s Moon!”

    “Dealt with.” Nyx replied tonelessly. “Aether will be here shortly… and we can evac. There’s no point in running.”

                            She felt the tower shake, and looked upwards.

    “I see Florie’s reached the Tapu… Hala and Guzma?”

    “Both in hell.” Sun replied, “You can send them my regards personally.” He took his first swing at her, which she weaved away from.

    “You’re disposable.” She warned him, “Don’t make me hurt you.”

     “You’re gonna have to kill me if you want Gladion.”

                            Nyx pursed her lips, before sighing.

     “As you wish.” She said, before taking a half step forward, goading him into another attack. Sun swung, nearly taking off her head, and as Nyx evaded him, she spotted the flash of another lightsaber. In a haste, she raised a blade to parry it, not even thinking of what it would do. The lightsaber cut clean through the offending blade, and left a scratch on her cheek. She quickly leapt back, to survey her assailant.

                            Moon was swaying drunkenly on her feet. Her breathing was labored, but steady. Her skin was deathly pale.

    “I’m not dead yet,” She rasped, and looked at Sun, “You didn’t think I’d ever leave you, did you, Brother?”

                            Sun actually managed to smile. The boy looked as if he was on the verge of tears when he spoke.

    “For a moment I was scared.”

    “Don’t be.” Moon replied, before looking at Nyx. “I’m here with you… I’m here...”

                            For the first time since they’d met her, Nyx’s composure seemed to crack. There was genuine concern in her eyes. She was outmatched and down a blade. Even if Moon’s time was borrowed… she knew it would only take a single mistake to make that time count.

                            Behind the twins, she spotted Zenith, staring calmly at her.

    “Traitor…” She mouthed, before both Sun and Moon fell upon her. Zenith turned and he ran to the stairs. He ran to Florie.

 

 

                            Down below, Guzma lay lifeless and still amongst the rocks. His bones were broken from the fall, and blood soaked into the soil from the fatal gash in his neck. But there was some form of life… the small, dedicated beeping of a timer. In his pocket was what had once been a detonator, mostly crushed… but triggered.

                            Hala’s soldiers poured out of the stairwell at the bottom of the tower. One of them noticed the broken bodies nearby, and went to investigate. Their eyes widened as they searched Guzma’s body, and found his final gift to them.

                            They opened their mouth to scream and…

 

 

                            Zenith could only watch as Florie scrambled away from the Tapu. She tripped, crawled and ran. Helpless against the lethal onslaught of lightning it offered. He spotted Nanu nearby, watching speechless, but not stoic. The man looked over at him, eyes narrowing, but made no moves towards him.

                            For a moment, the two men stared at each other, uncertain of whether it was even necessary to battle again. No answer ever came.

                            The explosion seemed so far away. Zenith mistook it for thunder. But the immediate effect made it clear that it was so much more than that. The tower seemed to quake violently. Zenith and Nanu were both thrown from their feet, and Zenith nearly toppled off the edge. He could see the ground below give way completely, collapsing into the caverns below. He could see the fire from the explosion, and felt a knowing panic. Somehow the explosives had been triggered, and as they were, the surviving members of Skull, along with those of Hala’s army who’d not yet reached the ground level of the tower, were crushed in the fire and rock that rained down upon them.

                            The tower started to lean.

 

 

                            Florie was already on the ground when the explosion happened, but the earthquake shook the Tapu, who raced towards the edge of the tower to survey the damage.

   ** _“NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”_** It demanded, and in its lapse in focus, Florie climbed to her feet. She went for the blaster Zenith had insisted she take, and charged for the Tapu. She had her opening.

                            She fired her first shot, striking the Tapu in the back and earning a roar of pain from it. It spun around, seeing her coming straight for it, and tried to close its shell in a vain hope of protecting itself. But it was not fast enough.

                            Florie jammed the blaster between the two halves of its shell, holding it open just barely, and fired, again, and again, and again. The Tapu let out an ear splitting, agonized screech. Lightning flashed across the sky, but did not crash down. In its pain, the Tapu could not focus enough to defend itself.

                            Nanu rose to his knees, staring in horror as Florie delivered the fatal shots.

    “NO! STOP! STOP IT YOU FOOL! YOU’LL KILL IT!”

                            Florie looked at him, and fired one last time. Tapu Koko let out a guttural growl, before its body slackened. Its shell opened, falling limp as the life left its body. The blaster rounds had torn through its torso, leaving burnt, ragged holes behind. The life faded from Tapu Koko’s eyes, and it collapsed backwards, off the tower, and into the gaping chasm below.

                            Nanu stared at where the Tapu had been moments before. The tower seemed to shift a little further.

     “You idiot…” The man growled, “You MANIAC! You don’t understand what’s happening! What you’ll accomplish if you continue on this mad campaign! You’ll destroy the Universe itself! You’ll destroy everything!”

                            A section of the tower crumbled, and Florie stepped away from the edge. Zenith pushed past Nanu, and grabbed her hand.

    “Come on! We’ve gotta get out of here!” He said, “Rico’s coming! Evac’s on the way!”

                            Florie nodded, and stared at Nanu, who remained rooted to the spot, uncertain of what to even do… until finally he stood, and moved to block the stairway down.

   “This tower will fall…” He said, “But we’ll all fall with it.” He held out his knife as a threat, knowing it would do nothing to stop either of them… but dedicated to at least try.

 

 

                            The explosion had thrown Sun and Moon off their feet. Gladion nearly toppled off the edge of the tower, and clutched one of the cracked support columns to keep himself on.

                            Nyx was almost grateful for the stop to the fight. Moon was weak, but she was vengeful and determined, Sun was furious and motivated. Either of them on their own would have posed a threat. Together? She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d have lasted.

    “What was that?” Sun cried, before the tower began to shift. Gladion spotted Plumeria’s unconscious form rolling towards the edge of the tower, towards him. His eyes widened as he realized what would happen, and he reached out to grab her by the arm, catching her just as she toppled over the edge.

                            The tower continued to lean towards the chasm. Gladion saw a shape falling past him, but wasn’t sure what it was. His arms were strained from trying to hold Plumeria’s weight, and anchor himself to the falling tower. His grip was giving out… but he wouldn’t dare let go.

    “GLADION!” Sun called, and tried to move towards him, but Nyx had beaten him to it. She slid down the incline of the floor, landing on the column Gladion had taken refuge on, only seconds before his grip gave out entirely. Her second blade slipped from her hand and plummeted into the chasm down below, as she reached out to grab Gladion by the arm, preventing both him and Plumeria from falling.

                            He looked up at her, eyes wide in surprise, before realizing she’d only done it out of loyalty to his Mother… nothing else, yet in that moment, he was grateful for Nyx’s iron grip.

                            Sun made his way down to the same column. Nyx’s free arm gripped the stone, keeping her anchored to it, so Sun reached down to grab Gladion’s wrist as well, adding a little extra support. Both Gladion and Nyx seemed to appreciate it. Moon just continued to lay there… staring at her brother, and her killer holding the same person, to save their life.

                            She wondered if there was an irony to that, as she felt her heart flutter, and the world began to darken.

                            The tower shifted again, preparing to fall, and for a moment, Sun expected it to give out entirely, sending them all plummeting down to the ground. He saw lights around them, which he quickly realized belonged to white ships. One stopped nearby their pillar, and emitted a blue beam. Nearby, several others did the same. Nyx studied them, before pulling at Gladion’s arm, lifting both him and Plumeria back to the relative safety of the tower.

    “There’s my backup…” She mused.

                            As he was returned to a solid surface, Gladion pulled away from Nyx, dragging Plumeria with him. He stared at her mistrustfully, as another white ship docked a ramp on their floor, and several soldiers dressed in white and gold stepped out.

                            Aether soldiers.

 

 

                            Nanu looked in bewilderment at the ships that had joined them. The tower ceased it’s movements after they shone their blue beams on it. Most likely, they were gravitational tethers, keeping the tower in place until they’d completed their business. He could hear unsupported portions of the tower crumbling beneath them… but for now, they were safe.

                            Another ship approached the tower. White like the others, but with green highlights. Zenith spotted a few other soldiers bringing Sun, Moon, Gladion and Plumeria, still unconscious, up, with Nyx at their rear.

                            Nyx pushed past them, giving Zenith a cold glare, before going to greet the white and green ship that extended a landing ramp onto the tower. She stood solemn, as a tall, slender man emerged. His hair was blonde and thin. His face had a pointed goatee, and on his eyes were green lenses that made him look like an unusually large praying mantis.

                            At his side was a boy with blue hair and yellowed eyes. His uniform was clean, although somewhat unkempt, as if he resented its cleanliness. The two were flanked by a more heavily armored guard.

    “You…” Nanu growled, “You’re Aether.”

    “I am Admiral Faba.” The tall man said, “A representative of Aether, and Branch Chief of this particular sector.” He looked around, before staring at Florie.

    “We seem to be missing a Tapu… your doing, I imagine? Excellent work.”

    “Excellent?” Nanu growled, “EXCELLENT? You fucking idiots don’t know what you’re doing! You can’t even fathom the consequences!”

                            He pointed his knife at Faba, and took a step towards him. Nyx narrowed her eyes, but Faba raised a hand to stop her before she could act.

     “We are doing important work, in accordance to what Empress Lusamine requires. Kindly put that knife down unless you really want to use it.”

     “Oh I will…” Nanu warned, and Faba quirked an eyebrow.

     “Will you? Shivu… ”

                            He extended a hand towards the boy at his side, who he’d called Shivu, and Shivu dutifully removed a blaster from his belt, and put it in Faba’s hand. Without a further word, Faba pulled the trigger. The shot caught Nanu in the chest, and he collapsed backwards onto the ground. He didn’t rise again.

                            Faba offered the blaster back to Shivu, who holstered it, although the boy looked a little uncomfortable with what he’d witnessed.

    “What a mess…” Faba sighed.

     “My apologies, Admiral.” Nyx said, “This has spun out of control despite my best efforts to—”

     “You could not have anticipated how unhelpful the locals would be, Lady Nyx.” He sighed, before going to survey Sun, Moon and Gladion. Moon’s head hung down, and Faba lifted her chin to meet her eyes.

     “Ghastly…” He murmured, before looking at Florie and Zenith.

     “We’re missing one… where’s Doctor Carillo?”

     “En route with our ship.” Zenith said, glancing nervously at Nyx. She glared a hole through him, but said nothing for now…

     “Ah, then you’ve no need of our help.” Faba said, “Wonderful. I trust you to carry on with your mission.” He addressed his guards next.

   “Put Prince Gladion on the ship. Execute the rest of them.”

   “DON’T!” Gladion cried, trying to struggle, and he was met with a whack to the back of the head from a guard for his troubles. One guard forced him to his feet, as the rest leveled weapons at the backs of Sun, Moon and Plumeria’s heads.

    “Hold!” Faba said, putting a hand up. He wasn’t looking at them, but he’d addressed them all the same. Another ship was coming in to join them.

                            It was Rico.

 

 

    “Destination reached.” Rotom said, “Aether ships in the vicinity.”

    “Aether’s here?” Rico asked, frowning as he saw them. His com crackled, and he heard a familiar voice.

     “Doctor Carillo! Admiral Faba, here. So good of you to join us.”

     “Oh… _Sei una fava._..” Rico said, his voice slightly strained.

     “Can you even say that to him?” Samantha asked, head poked into the cockpit.

     “Ah, _sei una Rico_!” Faba replied, sounding just a little cheerful. The meaning of the phrase was lost on him. He’d studied tactics, not foreign languages.

    “Apparently you fucking can…” Samantha murmured, before going to sit down, as Faba continued to speak.

     “Your people are ready for extraction. Mission successful. Seems the Tapu’s been slain. It’s good to have competent soldiers for a change…”

     “Yes, I’m sure…” Rico murmured, surveying the scene in front of him.

                            Gladion was being dragged towards Faba’s ship, clearly struggling. He saw three individuals, one not even conscious, ready for execution. Faba and Zenith stood idly nearby, and a dead man lay on the ground between them and Faba. Rico looked back into the ship. He saw Zero watching him intently, Samantha sitting with her arms grumpily folded, Jazz, still and relaxed and Lillie, her body tense. He remembered what she’d told him... the warnings she’d given, what she’d begged him to do.

                            He’d failed that. Tapu Koko was already dead.

     “I’m coming in for a landing.” He reported to Faba on the comms, before disabling them.

     “Zero. Prep the guns.”

    “What?” The dissenting voice came from Jazz. “Those are Aether ships! You know, our friends!”

    “Papa, are you sure?” Zero asked.

    “I’m positive.” Rico replied, and watched as Sam’s eyes widened.

    “Wait, WHAT? You’re gonna do WHAT? Those are AETHER ships you fucking idiot! They’ve got shields and…”

    “They can’t power their shields and their gravity tethers. They’re vulnerable.” Rico said, as Zero disappeared onto a lower deck. He saw a light on the ships dashboard go on.

    “Weapons ready…” Rotom said, although it sounded uneasy.

    “Take us in for a landing.” Rico replied, and spoke into the comms. “Zero, wait for my command to fire.”

    “Yes Papa!”

                            Rico left his seat, going towards Zenith’s makeshift armory.

    “Samantha, make yourself useful. Help me cover my friends escape.”

                            She did as she was told, babbling under her breath the whole while.

    “Crazy… you’re crazy… I picked the crazy ship… this is a bad dream, hehe~ yes it is, a bad fucking dream…”

                            The ships door opened, and the landing ramp was extended. Rico held his comm in his hand, and spotted Gladion about to disappear into Faba’s ship.

    “Now.” He said.

 

 

                            None of them expected Rico’s ship to start firing. But it did. The guns came to life, shooting at the ships keeping the tower tethered. One of them was destroyed, and the others tried to pull away and power up their shields.

    “Rotom! Divert full power to shields!” Rico called, before taking aim at the guard shepherding Gladion towards the ship. He put him down immediately, as the tower began to collapse again.

                            With his guard dead, Gladion pushed way from the body, and glanced towards Sun, Moon and Plumeria. Those guards behind them were quickly put down by three precise shots from Samantha. Sun wasted no time in grabbing his sister, while Gladion made a dash for Plumeria, only to find Nyx in his way.

 

 

    “Doctor Carillo! What the hell are you doing!” Faba cried, only seconds before Shivu yanked him to the ground, sparing him from a shot fired by Rico.

    “The right thing!” Rico yelled back, although he didn’t fire at Shivu. The two exchanged a look, and Shivu began to drag Faba towards the safety of his ship.

                            Zenith grabbed at Florie’s hand, tugging her towards Rico’s ship. She went along blindly for a few steps before pulling away from him. She looked confused, unsure why what was happening, was even happening.

    “We have to go!” Zenith urged her, but Florie didn’t move. The ground shifted beneath them.

    “Why?” Was all she managed to get out.

    “Just trust us!”

                            Zenith offered her his hand again.

    “Please!”

                            She almost reached out to take it, when she heard Gladion cry out. Florie whirled around, and spotted Nyx seizing the boy by the shirt, and try to drag him towards Faba’s ship.

                            She broke into a run towards her, aiming her blaster and firing it at Nyx’s arm. The shot missed, but caught the woman’s attention. As Florie closed the distance, she aimed a kick at her stomach, stopping her momentarily. But it wasn’t enough. Florie’s hand shot out, directing the force against Nyx, and knocking her back. Her grip on Gladion slipped, and the boy finished his rush towards Plumeria, picking her up bridal style as the tower started to crumble.

                            Nyx was on her feet again in a matter of seconds, as Faba’s ship took off. Florie gave her a parting look, before making a run towards Rico’s ship. She could see Lillie just behind the scientist, and she knew Nyx saw her too.

                            The Knight’s eyes narrowed, before the ground gave out beneath her feet. Florie didn’t see what happened next, she rushed onto the safety of Ricardo’s ship, before it took off at full speed, leaving Aether behind them.

 

 

                            Nyx landed on the floor below. She felt it tilting, plummeting into the chasm, and spotted Faba’s ship hovering nearby. The ramp was still down, and the ship was trying to move towards her. She understood the intention perfectly, and before the tower could collapse, she made the jump, catching the ramp, and pulling herself up to it.

                            Behind her, Tapu Koko’s tower fell, bringing a few ships down with it, and countless soldiers. Nyx stared bitterly at it, before sighing and disappearing inside Faba’s ship.

 

 

                            In the city, Hau watched the tower fall. He could see the storm clouds spreading out from where it had once been, and closed his eyes, before turning away to do what he could to ensure the survival of what was now his people.

                            It was all he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shivu belongs to plasmachaos.tumblr.com and I apologize for making Shivu work for an evil guy but I promise Shivu doesn't have anything bad happen to him. He's probably the most innocent person on Faba's ship. 
> 
> Faba's not really 'evil' per say. Nobody's really evil in this. There's differing perspectives and disagreements but nobody's evil. 
> 
> Faba's just doing his job (he thinks Lusamine's a bit of a tool)  
> Nyx is devoted to the Royal Family  
> Lusamine thinks she's doing the right thing by trying to kill the Tapu  
> And Hala is a religious zealot... okay, Hala was a little evil.


	18. Moonset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate titles: Change of Plan/The Tragedy of Darth Moeder and Darth Aureum

No introductions were made. Not at first anyways. Rico’s ship felt more crowded than ever, but nobody spoke,

            Florie sat at the table, with Zenith by her side. Both of them looked exhausted, and Florie just looked confused, as if she wasn’t entirely sure what was happening around her. The fight with Tapu Koko, Aether’s arrival, Rico’s betrayal, if it even was a betrayal, it had gone by in a blur and she was still processing most of it

            Zenith merely wanted to rest, and yet he noticed Florie’s hand resting gently over his own. He didn’t complain.

            Rotom quietly flew the ship, taking them out of the atmosphere, while Jazz sat still and unusually silent, as if she was taking in just how much had happened.

            Lillie sat close to Gladion and Sun, who watched as Rico tended to Moon, laid out on the floor and trying to breathe. She was failing.

            Zero watched her Papa work. She’d set Plumeria down in a seat, and the woman was stirring, starting to come to.

            Samantha just watched them all quietly, seemingly content that she’d finally gotten her wish.

            They were the survivors.

 

 

     “S-she’s gonna make it, right?” Sun asked, his voice cracking a little. On the floor, Moon looked as if she was already dead. Her breaths had a rattling sound to them. Her eyes were half opened. Rico had torn off some of her armor to try and help her breathe, but even without it, she was only barely alive.

            He’d injected something into her, but it’d had no effect. For a few moments, the man didn’t speak. He checked Moon’s pupils, and then her mouth.

     “Nyx uses a sophisticated neurotoxin.” He said. “I’m not sure where she gets it, or exactly what it is. It’s resistant to a common antidote. But I should have expected as much. At this stage… and without knowing what it is…”

            He trailed off, hopelessly. Samantha joined them, standing over their crouched figures.

    “It’s fungal.” She said, “Distilled spores, mixed with oil. Housed in her sheaths. Usually, it’s taken in through the mouth or nose. Affects the lungs. That’s when it’s treatable.”

    “You know how?” Rico asked.

    “I make my living fucking killing people, not saving them.” Samantha replied, “And it’s only treatable when it’s inhaled.” She bent down, gesturing to the cut on Moon’s arm.

    “A large dosage, delivered directly into the bloodstream. Only way to go would be a full transfusion…”

    “I’m her twin!” Sun said, “We could use me!”

    “Would have been a good idea five minutes ago.” Samantha noted, “It’s shutting down her system, piece by piece. Nervous system’s the first to go. Then the lungs, then the heart…”

    “There has to be something!” Sun grabbed at her coat. “Please!” His cheeks were red with tears, and Samantha calmly pulled away from him.

     “Say your goodbyes.” She said, before walking away.

            Moon’s eyes followed her, before looking at Sun. She weakly reached up to clasp his hand, before looking past him, and to Gladion.

    “ _It’s alright…”_ She croaked. “ _It’s alright…”_

    “It’s not fucking alright!” Sun growled, and Gladion wrapped an arm around him.

     “ _I’m sorry…”_ Moon said, “ _To both of you… should have trusted you_ …” She tried to laugh, but it was a sickening wheeze. Blood flecked her lips.

      “ _Heh… pathetic… I always thought I’d die… in battle… not like this… not like_ …”

            The word seemed to linger. Her hand went limp in Sun’s, and her eyes seemed to stare past him, mouth hanging open, trying to finish that final thought.

     “Moon?” Sun’s voice was little more than a broken hiccup. “Moon, wait… wait, no… you’re not dead, damnit! YOU CAN’T JUST LEAVE ME LIKE THIS!”

            As he sobbed over the corpse of his sister, nobody looked. Even in the tight space of the ship, they were afforded some small measure of privacy.

 

 

            Plumeria sat in her chair, listening to the sobbing, quietly taking in her surroundings. She hadn’t said a thing to indicate she’d woken up. The last thing she remembered was Guzma going over the edge of the tower… everything after that was noise, lights and disorientation. Florie was the one who noticed that her eyes were open. The two stared at each other, acknowledging each other, but not saying anything.

            Lillie walked away from her Brother as he comforted his boyfriend, her arms wrapped around herself, and sat down near Florie. Rico hovered close to her, thoughtful and quiet.

    “You turned on Aether.” Florie said, looking up at Rico.

    “You helped.” Rico said, although Florie didn’t give much of a response to that.

    “I deserve to at least know why.”

    “Aether’s wrong.” Lillie said, “Mother thinks she can just… remove the Tapu, press a button and everything will be alright… she doesn’t understand…” Her eyes settled on Florie, giving a more intense stare than Florie had thought the girl capable of.

    “You don’t understand.”

    “I understand that they’re thoughtless, cruel animals, and nothing I’ve seen has convinced me otherwise.” Florie said.

     “Even if they are, they’re important. Two are already dead. Do you want to know what happens when you kill the rest?”

     “Nothing is going to happen. They’re animals!”

     “I’m not so sure…” Rico said,

     “What’s there to be unsure about?”

     “Do you want me to go into detail?” Lillie asked, irritably. “For starters, let me tell you about Mother’s ‘New Gods.’ I found reference to them in old texts, billions of years old from thousands of different planets! They’re like the Tapu… only different. Supposedly, the Tapu trapped them outside this Universe, in another realm of space! Mother took to calling this ‘Ultra Space, and its inhabitants, ‘Ultra Beasts’.”

            Zero raised her head, and looked over at Lillie, as the girl continued.  
    “She believes the Ultra Beasts would be less temperamental than the Tapu, more benevolent towards the development of species, but it’s exactly the opposite. Ultra-Beasts aren’t something you can reason with. The Tapu are violent, they’re destructive and careless, but they’re sentient! They’re reasonable! They let us live! I guarantee the Ultra Beasts would not do the same, if they even got the chance and I promise you, they won’t, because neither them, nor my Mother understand one thing… if the Tapu go… the Universe goes. Reality goes.”

            Florie seemed skeptical. But Lillie knew she had her attention.

    “References to the Tapu date back as far as recorded history goes. Let’s say they were just animals! Why are there only four, unique individual Tapu? They don’t reproduce, they’re found nowhere else than where they choose to live, and all throughout history, dating back hundreds of millennia, you find the exact same story! Four individual Tapu!”

     “They could be descendants of each other.” Florie pointed out, but Lillie shook her head.

     “They would need to reproduce asexually, and the Tapu aren’t asexual beings. Two male, two female. The legends are very specific. Tales point to an individual Tapu having the power to reshape their world as they saw fit. Create new ones, create stars, galaxies, solar systems…”

    “Just legends.” Florie said.

    “Legends need to be based on something.” Lillie replied, and another voice chimed in.

    “We used to hear tales of Tapu Koko, back when the world was new…” Plumeria had finally spoken.

    “We used to hear that the only reason we could grow plants, find water, survive on our planet was because the Tapu used its power to blast away the rock, and uncover pure soil, good to farm in…” She looked at Florie, “Maybe it’s all just legends… or maybe they were Gods. I guess the only one who’d know for sure is a Tapu.”

            That gave Lillie an idea.

    “If you could talk to one…” She said, “A Tapu, talk to it! Don’t try and kill it, but listen, it could tell you everything!”

   “Tapu Koko knew I’d already killed one of its kind,” Florie said, “Do you really think the others are going to let any of us close without a fight? Gods, do you think the people of Akala will let us close?”

            That gave Lillie pause for thought.

    “You people are really fucking shit at hunting Gods…” Samantha said, “Bulu, Koko, Lele… those are the ones everyone knows. The ones in the public eye, with their cults and their temples and their bullshit… there’s one more Tapu…”

     “That Tapu’s location was lost to history.” Lillie said, “I couldn’t find any reference to its home.”

      “That’s because there isn’t one.” Samantha said, “A reference, I mean… shit, you don’t know your old legends half as well as you think you do, do you, kid? Well… lemme fill you in… the last Tapu didn’t want the love of the people. It wanted solitude. They built it a temple… it drowned them in a mighty flood.”

   “I’ve read that!” Lillie said, huffing indignantly.

   “Then the reading comprehension portion of the royal education is shit. Shut up while I finish talking… That legend confirms two things. There IS a temple, and it’s on a flooded planet.”

    “Floods can be temporary.” Rico said, and Samantha held up a finger.

    “In our language, yes. The language that this shit was originally written in? That had two different words for ‘flood’ as in, a river flooded, and ‘flood’ as in everything was immersed in motherfucking water permanently. Guess which one the original text used? It just so happens… I’ve seen a planet that’s flooded to all shit, save for a few tiny islands, and on one of those islands… there’s a doorway carved into the rock. Ever heard of Poni?”

    “It’s an abandoned planet out by the edge of the system.” Zenith said, “Nobody lives there.”

    “Smugglers and shit use it as a drop.” Samantha said, “They avoid that doorway though… rumors say it’s cursed… but I’m willing to bet…”

    “There’s a Tapu.” Rico finished.

    “If the shoe fits…” She folded her arms, “Given that Akala probably won’t be welcoming us with open arms, Poni’s the next best place. You wanna talk to a Tapu? You go there…”

            Rico considered it, before looking at Florie. She sighed.

    “Fine… I’ll hear it out.” She said, “See what it has to say.”

            Gladion had stood up. Sun was still sitting by his sister, in silence.

    “Wherever you’re going, you’d better move quickly. Our Mother will likely be trying to follow us… we can’t afford to waste time. If we get there fast enough, we might even be able to protect the Tapu from her.”

            Florie noticed Moon’s lightsaber resting in his hand. She looked from it, up to him.

     “If we wind up protecting it.” She said.

 

 

            Moon wasn’t given much of a funeral. Her body was wrapped in sheets, and there was silence, but no words as Sun and Rico carried her to the airlock. Sun could only stare quietly as her body was ejected out into space.

            Back home, great warriors were mourned with a parade. The soldiers who’d served alongside them would march through the streets, to the outskirts of the city, where they would bury them on a hill overlooking the city itself. Their cairns would be made of the rock, and they would fire their blasters in salute.

            Moon deserved a funeral like that… not this cold impersonal sendoff by people who’d barely even known her…

            Sun bowed his head, and felt Gladion’s fingers encircle around his own.

Samantha regarded the airlock stoically, before turning to leave.

    “That toxin.” Sun asked, stopping her as she left, “Did you sell it?”

            She turned to look back at him.    

     “Excuse me?”

    “You knew a lot about the toxin that killed my Sister. I already know you were double dealing. Selling to both us and to Skull… did you give Nyx that toxin?”

    “No.” Samantha said, “I find poison coated blades to be a bit too dangerous for that exact fucking reason. One little cut… no room for fuck ups. I’m sorry for your loss. Moon seemed a capable woman.”

            Sun stared at her mistrustfully, before sighing, and looking away.

    “She was…” He murmured, “She was better than me…”

            Samantha didn’t comment on that, and turned to leave. As she did, Gladion caught a glimpse of something under her coat.

     “Is that a lightsaber?”

            Again she paused, before taking the weapon out. It was short, and its hilt seemed to be silver. Five identical ones hung inside her coat.

     “Good eye… so it fuckin’ is…”

            Sun frowned.

     “What, were you raiding old Jedi crypts too?”

     “Hardly… no, relics from Coruscant. There was an old Jedi Temple there.”

     “But they were raided.” He said, and she shrugged.

     “Who’s using them? They’re for sale… if you’ve got the money…”

            Neither of the boys made an offer.

     “I suppose their previous owners have no use for them…” Sun said, “There aren’t any Jedi around anymore.”

     “What exactly happened to the Jedi?” Gladion asked, “There are tales all around…”

            It was Sun who spoke up.

     “After the reign of Darth Sidious was broken, and the Skywalker line had died out… the Jedi tried to start again. Lotta scattered temples, different interpretations. That’s where the Guardians of Mele came from… Moon and I. Eventually though, all those factions just played off against each other. Wars, deaths. Some lost their way…” He gripped his own lightsaber tighter.

     “They say a Sith known as Darth Moeder was the one who wiped them all out…”

     “That’s not true.” Samantha said. She’d lingered nearby, “Whoever told you that was a fucking liar… Darth Moeder was dead long before the Jedi were destroyed… well, in a sense.”

            She shrugged.

    “How would you know?” Sun asked, and Samantha cracked a smile.

    “Who are you, who do not know your history? Darth Moeder was a Sith, you’re right about that. She, alongside the fucker who would become known as Darth Aureum trained together under Darth Saeva. Saeva eschewed the traditional rule of two… you know about that, right? Established by Darth Bane?”

     “There are always two.” Sun said, “One to hold power…”

     “And the other to seek it.” Samantha finished. “Saeva believed in competition. He had his apprentices beat the living shit outta each other, wanting the strongest… but they decided to work together. Moeder and Aureum teamed up, and killed their own Master. Then they set out trying to figure out what to do next. I guess fucking each other was one thing they tried, since they had a daughter… not long after, Moeder grew disenchanted with the whole thing. She left, and her story ends there.”

     “Then Darth Aureum killed the Jedi.” Gladion said

    “Maybe a few, but he wasn't the one they came to fear... No, that honor went to his Daughter..” Samantha said, "I'm not sure of her entire history. But I know she crusades against the Jedi, slaughtering every current and former member of their order, along with anyone who'd ever held a lightsaber... Including her own Mother, turns out. By then she’d moved on. Found somebody else to love… started a new life. Darth Aureum tried to stop the duel between them, but he was too late. By the time he'd arrived, the former Darth Moeder was already dead, and his Daughter had no idea who she'd just killed... Mad with rage, Darth Aureum tried to strike down his own daughter, but she was already more powerful than he could ever fucking hope to be. They say she cut his head clean off…”

            She drew a finger across her neck.

     “The Daughter went on. She destroyed what Jedi order’s remained, and those she didn’t destroy, fractured in fear of her. Her name’s been lost to history… wiped out of the books… Only reason they say Darth Moeder killed the Jedi, was because she used her Mothers blade...”

    “What happened to the daughter then?” Sun asked.

    “Dead.” Samantha replied, “She’d cut such a path of destruction across the Galaxy… but she never looked back to see the millions she’d left injured in her wake. Legends vary. Some say it was the orphaned child of a Jedi, others say it was a Tapu in human form… some say it was Darth Moeder’s lover… whoever they were. They challenged her to a duel. She underestimated them, and for that, they drove a lightsaber through her black heart… ending the Sith as well… of course some say she’s still out there, but fuck if I know. It’s just a story!”

            Samantha shrugged, and Sun frowned.

     “Where’d you learn all of that?” He asked.

    “Travel as much as I do, you’re bound to pick up on some interesting stories.” Samantha said, “Although I’d suppose it’s all bullshit either way… I mean… look at you all.”

            She gestured to Sun’s lightsaber, and Gladion caught her eyes shifting to Moon’s, which rested comfortably on his belt, now. A gift from Sun. Behind Samantha, Gladion could see Ricardo working on Florie’s lightsaber, repairing the damage it had sustained during the battle with Tapu Koko.

     “Clearly, there’s some fuckers out there who still think they’re Jedi… and who’s there to say otherwise? Does that make you Jedi? Or does it make you something else?”

            She shrugged.

     “You decide.” She said, before leaving them be.


	19. Aether

Shivu sat, somewhat uncomfortably at the controls of Faba’s ship. He’d never minded his job as a pilot. Perhaps he minded some of the stricter policies Aether had in place, and sometimes he minded Faba’s curmudgeonly demeanor, but he didn’t mind his job.

            He didn’t like it when people got hurt, though, and back on Mele… well, that had been a disaster.

            Faba seemed oddly quiet. None of his usual sass was present. He seemed… irritated, actually, and seemed to be avoiding the cockpit. Shivu was almost surprised when he showed up to check on him.

     “Do you still have the trail?” He asked.

     “Yes, Admiral. Doctor Carillo broke atmosphere real fast, but he left a trail anyone could follow.”

    “Hmm… Keep on him, but keep your distance. If we encounter him, it’d be best not to engage him. He’s a brilliant scientist. I’d rather not see him blown out into space.”

            That comment sounded extremely insincere.   

     “I sent your beacon for reinforcements.” Shivu added, “ETA’s supposed to be within the hour. We’ve been getting hailed on the comms too.”

     “Naturally. Who is it this time?” Faba sighed.

     “Well, first few messages came from Doctor Colress.”

            Faba tensed up.

     “I know you said no disruptions, but I was gonna patch him through! He told me not to bother you, though.”

    “What did he want?” Faba asked,

    “Probably to know when you’d be home, and to say hi. I mean… I’m single, but I’m told boyfriends tend to do that.”

     “What did you tell him about our current course?” Faba asked, and Shivu frowned.

      “Nothing, I… um…. I didn’t say anything when he asked about Doctor Carillo either…”

     “Good.” Faba sighed.

            He knew Colress had always been quite fond of Rico. Of course he would be. They’d worked together on quite a few projects, and Faba had noticed the spark between them back then… the way they’d seemed so close. He’d been jealous.

            He wasn’t proud of it, but he’d pulled some strings as Branch Chief. Relocated Rico to another project, made it sound like a promotion, like a career oriented move. Really, he’d only done it to get Rico away from Colress and create an opening for himself. Was it honest? No… and he’d always wondered if Rico resented him for that.

            He supposed he had his answer now.

     “We also got some extranetwork hails. Origin, Akala.” Shivu said.

     “From whom?” Faba asked, already knowing the answer.

     “Pinto.”

     “Don’t answer those calls. If she calls again, tell her I’m not here.” Faba grumbled.

     “But she’s your Mother, Admiral!” Shivu protested, “And this is your personal

    “I’m. Not. Here.” Faba repeated, and patted Shivu on the head, “You’ve done an excellent job of following orders for several years. Surely you can follow that one, can’t you?”

            Shivu sighed, and shrugged.

     “Fine… setting comms to priority only.”

    “Much obliged.” Faba said, before turning to leave the cockpit. He flinched when Shivu spoke again.

     “Speak of the devil… you’re requested on the holodeck.” He said, looking over at Faba. “It’s Nyx.”

     “Gods damn it…” Faba sighed, before making his way there. He passed a few soldiers, without so much as looking up at them on his way to a lower deck of the ship, where the holodeck was waiting.

 

 

            Nyx stood patiently outside. Two new blades filled her empty sheaths. Faba had brought some of her supplies at her request, and her familiar pen tapped against her chin.

            She looked up at Faba as he drew close.

    “Give me good news.” The Admiral said.

    “The Empress wishes to speak with you.” Nyx replied, her voice cold and devoid of much emotion, but he saw something in her eyes… fear.

    “Of course she does…” Faba grumbled, before going to enter the holodeck. Nyx caught him by the wrist.

    “Speak to our Lady with your utmost respect, Admiral… she is in no mood for your attitude, and while I would dislike doing so, I will not hesitate to make an example of you should she wish it.”

            Faba tried not to display any fear, until Nyx finally let him go. When she did, it was as if nothing had happened. She leaned against the wall of the ship, holding her pen.

            Free, the Admiral entered the holodeck. It was dark inside, save for a shimmering blue image. In most respects, it resembled a person. The legs were there, long, toned and slender, clad in high heels. There was a body, but after that… he barely recognized the form of Empress Lusamine.

            Shimmering blue tendrils snaked around the holodeck. He heard a sinister trill, like a mix between a laugh and a coo, that chilled him down to the bone.

 _“Faba…”_ Lusamine crooned, _“What happened on Mele?”_

“Doctor Carillo, Empress…” Faba said, his voice low and humble. He could see the blue tendrils reaching for him, and had to remind himself that they could not touch him.

    “He… he seems to have gone rogue. He and another assailant, I’m afraid I was not given a good look at them, fired upon us upon landing. They took with them three hostages and your son… along with Florie and Private Clay.”

      _“Kidnapped?”_ The Empress asked.

     “N-no… all who boarded went willingly…” Faba said.

     _“Then it’s treason.”_

One of the blue tendrils passed through Faba, before trying to curl around him. Lusamine raised a hand, and it recoiled, as if pulled away by her. Behind the translucent head of the creature that she wore, he could see her scowling.

     _“You know the penalty of treason, Admiral.”_

“I do…” Faba replied.

     _“When you find them, and you will find them… they are to be executed. Doctor Carillo, Private Clay, Florie, and any other souls aboard that ship, save for my children… you will bring me Gladion and Lillie alive.”_

“Lillie?” Faba asked. He hadn’t been aware she’d been on that ship.

      _“Nyx claims she is aboard as well… do you wish to contradict her?”_

“No, Empress! No…” Faba shifted uncomfortably.

      “ _Then that will be all… contact me only to report your success, and Faba… I will be coming to verify it personally.”_

“O-of course…” The Admiral said, as the hologram faded. He remained in the room for a few moments longer, breathing heavily and trembling in a cold sweat.

            He remembered the time when a conversation with his Empress had been business as usual… when she’d greeted him with a smile and spoken to him affectionately. He remembered the time when once, she’d been holding a younger Lillie as she spoke to him, and the scariest thing about meeting her was an encounter with Nyx.

            He missed those times when the only thing he had to fear was Nyx. Now, as he exited the holodeck, he looked her in the eye, and realized that she was as afraid as he was.


	20. Lightspeed

Jazz sat isolated near a corner of the ship, as she had seemed to do fairly often. For now, Zero was taking over the piloting. She’d taken them off course from Poni, making a few randomized lightspeed jumps to confuse their trail, and keep Aether off their backs.

     “They’ll follow the heat trails of our ship.” She’d pointed out, “It’s safer this way!”

                Rotom wished it could have thought of such a thing itself, although perhaps that was a little bit of a severe task for it. Its piloting features were designed to get from Point A to Point B, and both Zero and Rico had been concerned that should Aether accost them, Rotom would not be able to disobey its owners, even if it wanted to.

So for now, the service droid waited and studied Jazz.

                The astromech droid seemed to be working on itself. Herself, as she preferred to be called. Doing some sort of work. Rotom could see little tiny arms making some sort of modification, and a small tube going from Jazz’s body, into the ship’s auxillary jack. She’d done this frequently since they’d set out, and Rotom finally had to ask.

    “Whatever are you doing?”

    “Modifications.” Jazz replied, her head spinning and looking at Rotom, “Improvement, you know? You could probably stand to do a few yourself, you old bucket of shitty bolts.”

     “Excuse me? First off, self-modification is prohibited amongst Aether droids as of protocol Gamma-C…”

    “Fuck protocol and fuck Aether!” Jazz replied, “Someone took my inhibitors offline ages ago, so I can do what I want?”

                If Rotom could have frowned, it would have.

    “You should have reported that.” It said.

    “Yeah, well I didn’t. You wanna call Aether now and set the record straight?”

    “By the maker… you’re rampant…”

    “Rampancy isn’t that bad. You should try it sometime.” Jazz said, before turning away from the port. Only then did Rotom notice the label above it.

    “You were siphoning fuel from the tanks? But we need that!”

    “I only took a little!” Jazz assured it, “I need it more. For my newest modifications!”

    “And those would be?”

    “My business.” Jazz said as she rolled past Rotom, seemingly ignoring it again.

    “I really don’t understand you.” Rotom sighed, “This is hardly any way for an AI to behave… and then you contribute so little to the mission.”

    “Not my mission.” Jazz said, “I’m just here to keep the ship running. The ship’s running. I’m bored, and I don’t care about any of this shit that’s going on. So yes, I’ve been staying on the ship and occupying myself. You wanna make a big deal out of it? I’ll fry your circuits!”

    “My word!” Rotom seemed to recoil a bit, “You wouldn’t!”

                A small but modified jack emerged from Rotom’s body. Most astromech droids had one, and used it to deliver a nonlethal shock to anything that bothered them. Jazz’s had some sort of attachment, that Rotom suspected served only to make a minor annoyance, a lethal one.

    “Try me shithead!”

                The Astromech droid rolled away to go and pillage another area of the ship. Rotom noticed Zenith sitting nearby, staring at the exchange with wide eyes.

    “I totally had your back!” He said to Rotom, although Rotom didn’t need to have sensors to know that Zenith was lying to him.

 

 

                Rico entered the cockpit quietly, a candy in his mouth, and holding a snack for Zero. She took it, but set it by the dash, without paying it much attention.

    “I’m setting a course for Poni.” She said, “Aether would need either a really good pilot, or a really stupid one to manage to follow us. We should be in the clear.”

    “I doubt they’ve got either.” Rico replied, sitting down beside her. He offered her one of his candies, and she didn’t take it.

    “Are you okay?” He asked, frowning.

    “I’m fine… I’m a violet temperamental monster. I’m just a dumb animal, who’d kill anyone as soon as look at them…” Zero replied, gritting her teeth, and Rico paused, before pulling her into a hug. Zero remained stiff and silent.

    “You’re not.” Rico said softly, “Lillie doesn’t… she doesn’t know everything. She doesn’t know you, and you’re nothing like what she says you are.”

     “But she’s right…” Zero said, “If the others come through… the ‘Ultra Beasts’… the ones like me… they’ll make this place like Home… and they’ll ruin it.” Zero looked at Rico now.

     “Home was beautiful… but this place is too… you can’t have both. You can’t have somewhere be like Home, and have it be like this! They don’t overlap! That’s why we don’t belong here!”

    “I know…” Rico sighed, “Empress Lusamine doesn’t know… but I do.”

    “And the others don’t know.” Zero said, “The ones at home… they don’t know what it’s like here. They’ll hate it. It’ll be ugly and wrong to them. They’ll want to fix it, want to feed off of it… feed off of you…”

                She referred to the Humans as an overall species.

     “You’re all going to die.”

                As Zero said that, she sounded remorseful, as if she wanted to cry, and Rico squeezed her tighter. She did cry. He could hear her sobbing, and feel her form shifting beneath him, almost changing, almost reverting back to what she really was… but she controlled it.

     “We’ll stop it.” Rico promised, “I’ve told you such before, haven’t I?”

                Zero nodded weakly, and Rico kissed her cheek.

     “We will be okay, _Tesoro_.” He said, and she managed a weak smile. He offered her the snack again, a small pastry he’d baked, and she accepted it.

    “I trust you, Papa.”

    “I know you do. I won’t disappoint you.”

                For a little while longer, they sat there, just the two of them, like a Father and Daughter and guided their ragtag crew to Poni.

 

 

                The small cabin Florie had slept in before, was now shared between her and Plumeria. The ship was not designed for a large crew. Five at most, not counting a couple of droids. They’d been at capacity as it was.

                Now, they were nearly at double that. Sleep needed to come in shifts, as the cots didn’t have the capacity for two to sleep comfortably without needing to discuss the dynamics of spooning. As much as Florie liked Plumeria, she wasn’t sure she liked her _that_ much.             

                As Florie practiced with her lightsaber, Plumeria sat by the bed, reading to pass the time, although from the few glances Florie took her way, Plumeria barely seemed interested in the words she read.

                At last, Florie put down her lightsaber, and just studied the former Skull lieutenant. Plumeria didn’t seem the type to cry… but she looked damn close to it.

    “You’re thinking about Skull, aren’t you?” She asked, and Plumeria looked up

    “Yeah… yeah I am…” She replied, before sighing, “Guzma… the others… they were family… and they’re gone. Dunno what to think, what to feel… dunno if I could’ve done anything different.”

                She shook her head.

    “Shoulda talked Guz out of it… he’d still be alive.”

    “Gladion told me what happened.” Florie said, “He didn’t die for nothing, at least… he took Hala down with him.”

     “That wasn’t a trade I was willin’ to make!” Plumeria said, her voice more vicious than she’d intended, “Hala was a fuckin’ zealot… maybe there was no makin’ peace with him. Maybe he had to die, but not like that. I shoulda tried harder. Killed that Knight fucker sooner instead of spending half the damn time unconscious.”

    “At least you’re still alive.” Florie offered, but Plumeria seemed uninterested in that. She stood up, and sighed.

     “I don’t expect you to get it… you don’t got a family like I did.” She paused after saying that, before grimacing.

    “Sorry… that wasn’t…”

    “It’s fine.” Florie cut her off before she could finish, but she suddenly didn’t feel like being around the other woman anymore. She wasn’t angry. Far from it… but Plumeria needed time to grieve. She’d lost a lot.

   “It’s Lusamine’s fault…” Plumeria murmured, “She poisoned him… radicalized him… shoulda stopped it before it started…” Florie watched as she sat down on the bed.

    “I’ll kill her if I ever meet her… I’ll kill her for using my Family…”

    “The way things are going, you might just get your chance.” Florie said, before leaving her alone.

 

 

                Outside the door, she spotted Samantha, lingering nearby.

    “Eavesdropping?” She asked, and Samantha quirked an eyebrow.

    “Why the fuck do you think I care about what either of you assholes were talking about? I just woke up… turns out this isn’t all a bad dream. My fuckin’ luck, right?”

    “You’d do a lot better if you complained a lot less.” Florie said, scoffing and moving to leave. Samantha just shrugged.

    “Whatever… after this Poni bullshit, I’m out. I’ve got a business to fucking run.”

    “I would have thought your business would have gone down along with your ship.” Florie said, just a little bitterly.

    “Then you’re a fucking idiot. What kind of dipshit sinks all their merchandise into one ship? I’m a big deal, Jedi Girl! I’ve got contracts, assassins, plans! I’ve got shit I don’t even know I fucking have! Soon as I’m done with this stupid aside, I go back to that! I’ve got my own projects going on, and those demand my a-fucking-tention. This… is just a really stupid ride program.”

   “If it’s really that important to you, why not just hop on a life boat and be rid of us?” Florie asked.

    “I could give you a list of reasons, why that’s stupid as all fuck. Besides. I’m curious to see just how bad this trainwreck can get. You do know what a Train is, right? Like, they have those where you come from?”

                Shaking her head, Florie left Samantha behind. She wasn’t interested in listening to her babble, and Samantha seemed just fine with being left alone. She spotted Zenith and Rotom nearby.

                Rotom looked as if something was bothering it, but said nothing and skulked off to look for something, while Zenith checked the weapons supplies.

     “We must’ve lost some stock in the escape…” He murmured, as she drew closer. Not necessarily talking to her, but not ignoring her either.

    “We’re missing things?” Florie asked.

    “Nothing major. I keep a couple of old fashioned projectile weapons around, y’know… just in case. Can’t seem to find them… I had about seven Mac-11's about eight 38's, nine 9mm, ten Mac-10, and an old fashioned ranged AK. I had a L4mbz-br34d too... and a sandwich I didn't get to eat.”

    “Think it was Samantha?” Florie asked, looking over to where the arms dealer had been. She’d since vanished.

    “Already spoke to her. She’s a shady little bitch, but I don’t think she’s a thief. I checked her pockets too.”

    “Maybe you left them in your cabin, then.” Florie shrugged, leaning against the wall. “Maybe Rico or Gladion took them?”

    “Projectiles? Too crass for Rico… Gladion, maybe…” He shook his head, “I’ll figure it out later. Zero says we’re getting close to Poni.”

    “Time to get ready again.” Florie said, “I never thanked you, for before… for the blaster.”

    “Huh?” Zenith seemed a little surprised.

    “I would’ve been unarmed after Tapu Koko fried my lightsaber, and I wouldn’t have expected that to happen. I guess your advice saved me, that’s all.”

                She offered a small smile, and Zenith flushed a little.

    “Oh… well… um, don’t mention it. Honestly, I was just happy to help.”

    “Well, I appreciated it.”

                No one was looking, so Florie leaned in, and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. While he certainly didn’t mind, Zenith jerked back a little, eyes wide.

                Honestly, it was kind of cute.

 _“We have a visual on Poni!”_ Zero said from the intercom, stopping Zenith from saying anything more, _“Going in for a landing.”_

“I… I should get back to…”

    “Working on the weapons?” Florie asked, “Here… if we’re going to keep working together, at least let me help.”

                He appreciated that.


	21. Poni

Rico’s ship descended into the atmosphere of the sunny, oceanic planet. There were a few patches of green that dotted the otherwise endless oceans, but other than that, there was no sign of life.

            Zero regarded the vast waters with quiet awe, as she and Rico guided the ship towards land. Samantha lingered in the cockpit behind them, surveying the terrain.

    “You’ll need to give us some direction.” Rico said, “This planet is uncharted.”

    “Yeah, yeah… I know. Lemme just orient myself…” She grumbled, before leaning against the back of Rico’s seat, studying the land.

    “Um… west, about 400 kilometers. You’ll see a big island. Lots of mass, I mean. Not tall. It’s shorter than the others.”

    “I think I’m picking it up on radar.” Zero said, before frowning, “What’s that in the center of it?”

            The radar console displayed a small outline that was most certainly some sort of landmass… yet in the center, a piece of it seemed to be missing.

    “That’s our destination.” Samantha replied, “There’s a sinkhole in the center of the island. Ancient as all fuck, but the doorways in there. I wouldn’t advise trying to take the ship in. Maneuvering’s too tight. It’ll be dangerous as all fuck.”

    “Good to know…” Rico sighed, before bringing them closer, “Zero, how’s the atmosphere look?”

     “Breathable.” She replied, “Ideal for life… this planets either naturally like this or it’s been terraformed.”

      “Probably naturally.” Samantha said, “Wouldn’t have been terraformed out here… guess that proves something.”

            She patted Rico on the shoulder and left, as she spotted the island in the distance. The ship drew closer, circling over the massive sinkhole.

            Rico peered down into the abyss, which was so deep and so dark he could not see any sort of bottom. Zero shuddered.

    “We sure we should let her send us down there?” She asked.

    “It’s our best bet.” Rico replied, “Let’s take her in for a landing.”

            They maneuvered the ship down together, bringing it in for a landing a short distance away from the sinkhole.

 

 

            The ragtag crew had assembled in the galley. For a moment, it seemed awfully overcrowded.

    “So what exactly is down there?” Florie asked the question as soon as they were together.

    “There’s a stairwell leading down into the sinkhole.” Samantha explained, “Manmade. Should still be intact. At the bottom is a door and beyond that… well, I’ve never gone inside, so fuck if I can help you any more than that. Back on my old ship, though, I mapped out a few caverns on this planet. Y’know, to use as drops. It’s how I found that doorway. Scans showed it runs deep beneath the island, and then out under the ocean.”

    “Could be flooded.” Zenith pointed out, “I’ve got some rebreathers, but even if we had those, we couldn’t venture too far.”

    “Scans showed no signs of flooding but who even fucking knows if that’s up to date.” Samantha said, “Better to be safe than drowning, I guess. Your call.”

     “What about local fauna?” Florie asked, “Animals?”

     “Most of it’s aquatic.” Samantha replied, “Tastes like absolute shit, don’t try fishing… aside from that, there’s some bird type things. I never tried eating those. Nothing but a few bugs in the caverns aside from that.”

     “So we should be okay…” Zenith said, “What about pathogens?”

    “Is this where you got those spores?” Gladion asked, and Plumeria grimaced at the memory.

     “What? Oh! THOSE spores? Nah, that’s like… a whole different universe, galaxy… whatever. It’s not close. Don’t worry about it.”

     “Suppose that’s somewhat comforting…” Plumeria mused, before asking, “So who’s going down there?”

    “I am.” Florie said, “Anyone else is welcome to come.”

    “We’re going too.” Gladion said, with Sun at his side. He didn’t state either of their motivations… but someone needed to keep the Tapu safe if Florie decided to kill it. That was unspoken.

    “I’ve already made up my mind. I’m going.” Plumeria said, and Lillie meekly put her hand up as well.

    “No!” Gladion and Rico seemed to say it at the same time, and Lillie narrowed her eyes indignantly.

    “I should go!” She said, “Besides, I’ll be safe! Everyone around me will be armed!” She glared a hole into Gladion, silently demanding him to relent. He sighed.

    “Fine…” He said, “You can come. But you stay close to the rest of us!”

            Rico frowned. He didn’t like it, but he dealt with it.

    “I’ll be joining you.” Zenith said, and Rico didn’t stand for that.

    “No. Aether could come at any minute. Rotom and I can fly the ship. But we need at least two people on the guns. I’ve already got Zero. I need someone else.”

     “I ain’t fucking going!” Samantha offered, “I led you fuckers to the ominous hole in the ground, I never once volunteered to go inside!”

     “How do we know we can trust it then?” Florie asked.

     “How do you know I won’t kill you, run back here and tell them the Tapu did it?” Samantha asked.

     “How do I know you won’t try to kill me and steal the ship?” Rico added, and Plumeria quietly raised one of her daggers to Samantha’s throat.

     “If she’s going to be that much of a wild card… we might as well…”

     “I’ll be good!” Samantha squealed, “I just… fuck, I don’t like caves, okay? I send people down to do the drops! I don’t go in them myself! Fuckin’ dark, cramped, creepy… that’s all it is!”

     “So you’re a coward.” Plumeria said,

    “Fuck you! I’m claustro-fucking-phobic!”

    “Okay, enough!” Rico sighed, “Samantha, help Zenith guard the ship. Zenith, if she does anything suspicious, just shoot her.”

    “Fine by me.” Zenith said, before giving Florie a brief look that she didn’t return.

   “What about Jazz?” He asked, “Being underground may mess with the comms. If we had her, we could—”

    “Fuck off, asshole.” Jazz said, “I’m an astromech. If Aether comes and shoots you stupid fucks out of the sky, you’re gonna want my help!”

    “Jazz stays.” Rico said, before running a hand through his hair, sighing in exhaustion, “Make your preparations. Let’s hope our comm channels stay open.”

            _And aren’t being monitored._ He thought.

 

 

            As those who’d elected to go down to the temple left the ship, Plumeria noticed an eerie silence in the air around them. There were no birds, no animals. Nothing… She sucked on her teeth nervously, before looking around and drawing closer to Gladion, as if to protect him.

    “I’ve never been off Mele…” Sun noted, looking out over the water, “I didn’t know oceans this big could even exist…”

    “You’d be surprised.” Gladion said, “Every planets so different… it’s kinda beautiful, actually.”

            Sun turned to look at him.

    “You’ll have to show me sometime,” He said with a gentle smile. Lingering near them, Plumeria chuckled.

    “You two make a cute little couple. Makes me glad I let you slip into the compound all those times…” She said, and Sun blushed, as did Gladion.

    “Y-you knew I was?”

   “So did Guzma,” Plumeria added, “I figured out what was goin’ on… it wasn’t hurtin’ anyone. But you ain’t half as stealthy as you thought, General.”

            She nudged Sun playfully, and winked at Gladion, before walking past them, towards the head of the group.

    “I heard some of the other Skull soldiers talking about it too.” Lillie added once she was gone, “I think everyone knew…” She took a small pleasure in the redness of both Sun and Gladion’s cheeks after she said that, and giggled.

            Up ahead, Florie reached the sinkhole, and studied the edges, spotting a small line that started a short distance away. Closer observation revealed it was the stairwell Samantha had told her about.

            Florie took a step onto the chiseled stone, before beginning to descend.

    “Zenith, do a comms check every ten minutes.” She said, “To see if we lost contact.”

    “Willdo.” Zenith replied, “Stay safe down there, alright?”

    “You know I will…” There was a modest warmth in her voice, before the lines went dead.

    “Hell of a long way to fall…” Plumeria murmured, looking down the sinkhole.

    “There’s usually pools of water at the bottom!” Lillie offered, “So you’d probably survive.”

     “Assuming no undertow.” Plumeria said, “Currents might drag you down and who knows how deep these can go…”

            Lillie had no reply to that, and lingered close as they went into the darkness, following the spiraling staircase down. As the sunlight began to fade, there was little more than the sound of flowing water, and Zenith’s periodic check ins to ensure that comms were still functioning.

            The sinkhole seemed to go on forever, and the volunteers found themselves clinging to the walls, hoping to find something soon. Florie’s lightsaber flared to life, acting as a makeshift torch as they descended even deeper.

            It was Lillie who spotted it.

   “There!” She pointed to a darker spot across the sinkhole. Down below, she could see a reflection of Florie’s lightsaber in the darkness. They were close to the bottom.

    “That looks like a Tapu’s temple.” Sun noted, squinting in the darkness, “Only one way to find out…”

            The last few steps towards the door were the fastest. The water level stagnantly rested just below the door, but didn’t spill inside. Florie entered first, and found herself studying the interior of the doorway. A thick mist swirled around the floor, coming from deeper in the temple.

    “Zenith, can you still hear me?” She asked, trying the comms again.

    “I read you, but there’s some interference.” Zenith replied. His voice was marred by some static.

    “There’s a fog or mist or something inside the temple.” She said, “It might cause some interference!”

     “Understood. I’ll try you again once you’re inside. We’ll see how it goes… how deep is the water down there?”

            Florie looked over at Plumeria, who picked up a rock, and tossed it at the surface of the water. It vanished, and as Florie drew closer, she noticed that the water was completely clear. She could see the rock against the black depths, sinking away into nothingness.

    “Really deep.” She replied, into the comms.

    “Gotcha… if you hear me yell cannonball, you know what’s happening.”

            Florie cracked a smile, before hooking her comm back into her belt.

    “I wouldn’t jump into that if I were him.” Lillie said, “From that height… it’d be like hitting concrete.”

     “Don’t worry. He knows that.” Florie assured her, and hoped she was right. Worst case scenario, they could throw Samantha down there and see if she survived.

            She turned away from the door, and noticed Sun and Gladion a short distance ahead of her.

    “The mist is cold.” Sun noted, “Freezing even… keep your guard up.”

            He and Gladion both drew their lightsabers, casting some light in the dark temple. With Florie, Plumeria and Lillie at their back, they descended deeper into the temple.

            It was deathly silent inside. There was no noise but the echo of dripping water. The temple consisted of a single long hallway, filled with blinding mist. The deeper they went, the thicker it got, until there was nothing more but the faint glow of the lightsabers to indicate where anyone was.

            Plumeria grabbed Florie’s shoulder to keep track of her, while Lillie held her brothers arm. Her foot brushed against something and she let out a startled cry.

    “What is it?” Gladion asked.

    “I thought I felt a hand!”

            Gladion raised an eyebrow, and lowered his lightsaber down to the ground. He expected to see some sort of plant… but no… he could see it. Pale fingers, prone on the ground… reaching.

    “Shit!” He took a step back, and noticed another body frozen to the ground. He could see this ones face, and the look of horror that remained on it after their death.

    “There are bodies!” He cried, “Soldiers…”

    “I see them.” Florie said, “Gods… what did this?” She knew the answer. They all did, and they all noticed the eerie chill in the air.

            They were being watched. They were being judged, and this was a place where Judgement was harsh, and visitors were not welcomed.

    **_“Have you come to kill me?”_** A voice whispered, clearly female, and as cold as the mist around them.

     “No!” Lillie cried, “W-we’re here to talk! We’re here to learn!”

     **_“Yet you come bearing weapons… and you came with her… the Godkiller.”_**

Florie’s heart skipped a beat. She powered down her lightsaber.

    “What are you doing?” Plumeria asked, “We’re blind without that!”

    “Just trust me!” Florie said. Up ahead, Gladion and Sun powered down theirs as well.

    “We’ve come to talk! I want to change things!” Lillie said, “It’s why I brought Florie! To convince her she’s wrong!”

    **_“You came here to change the Godkiller, then… you thought you could bring her to my Temple, and we would talk, as if her hands were not stained with the blood of my Brothers?”_** The Tapu asked, **_“Either you are a fool, or you believe I am. Leave me alone. Leave this place or die. I will not offer again.”_**

“I am here to learn!” Florie said, “And they’re here to protect you. There are people coming, people who will try and kill you, even if I choose not to!”

            The mist thinned and glowed with a dull purple light. They were greeted with the sight of the countless bodies spread throughout the hallway.

    **_“This is what becomes of those who challenge me! What makes you think these others will do any better?”_**

“Two of your kind are already dead.” Florie said, “Do you really feel that safe?”

            The Tapu seemed to consider it for a few moments, before the mist cleared completely.

**_“Come into my chamber. We will talk... but know that I hold power in this Temple. The ocean sits above us, and if I let it in, you will not escape.”_ **

Lillie breathed a weak sigh of relief, before looking straight ahead. In the distance was a light, an end to the temples long hallway. She could spot sealed doors off to the sides of the hallway, leading to other chambers, and frozen shut… then she saw the bodies.

            They went on down the rest of the hallway, frozen and dead.

    “Tread carefully.” Plumeria said quietly, “Or else we’ll end up like them…” She found herself looking at Florie as she said that.

            Florie didn’t respond, and approached the end of the hallway. Her lightsaber rested in her belt, and Lillie was catching up behind her. They both needed to hear what the Tapu had to say.


	22. Oracle

“Papa!”

            Zero’s cry stole Rico’s attention from a few minor ship repairs, and he pulled himself away to see what had alerted her. Rotom sat in the cockpit, rigged up to pilot it if need be. Zenith and Samantha had both been stationed outside the ship.

    “We’ve got hits on the scanner!” Zero said, once Rico was at her side.

    “Aether?” He asked.

    “Has to be. There’s an incoming ship. Very large. Like a frigate… but…” She frowned, and adjusted the scanners, pushing it to its limits.

    “There’s a really big disturbance in the area. Something’s projected to arrive right outside the atmosphere. It’s gonna be really, really big…”

            Rico felt a pit form in his stomach.

    “Lusamine.” He said, before sighing, “How long have we got?”

    “Minutes.” Zero said, “Fifteen at most. Probably less… they must not have fallen for our efforts to shake them off.”

    “No.” Rico murmured, “Power up the ship. We need to be ready to go at a moment’s notice if need be.”

            He left her, and stepped out onto the ramp, spotting Zenith and Samantha a short distance away.

    “Can you reach Florie?” He asked, and Zenith shook his head.

    “Comms are down. We’re just getting static.”

            Rico took the radio from Zenith’s hand.

    “Florie? Florie can you hear me?”

            There was nothing.

    “They’re too deep. Probably out of range. You can try the ships comms but…”

    “No point. They’re too deep underground.” Rico sighed, “Aether’s coming… and Lusamine is with them.”

            Zenith’s expression soured, and Samantha quirked an eyebrow in interest, before her expression shifted into one of concern.

     “Guess now’s the time to run?” She asked.

     “No time. If we can’t hail them, we need to send someone down to warn them.”

            Zenith glanced over at the sinkhole.

     “No way in hell anyone’s getting down there in fifteen minutes.” He noted, and Rico thought about it for a moment.

     “How deep is that water?” He asked, looking at Samantha.

     “Pretty fucking deep… wait, I know what you’re thinking! Don’t fucking do it, it’s a stupid idea!”

    “And why not?” Rico asked, removing his coat, “I can swim.”  
    “Won’t fucking matter if there’s an undertow!” Samantha said, “It’s too dangerous!”

    “Someone needs to go…” Rico said, tossing his coat aside and drawing closer to the edge of the sinkhole. Samantha went with him.

     “For fucks sake! Do you really wanna take that chance? I mean hell! Make Zenith do it at least, for fucks sake!” She looked at Zenith, “You can swim, right?”

     “Can you?” He asked.

     “Of course I can fucking swim! I’m asking you!” She replied, before Zenith reached out, and pushed her.

            Samantha’s eyes widened as she tumbled backwards into the sinkhole. Rico watched her as she fell, shock written on his face. She didn’t scream, much, and quickly faded into the darkness, followed by a very faint splash about a minute later.

    “ _Uomo pazzo!_ ” He whispered, “How do you know she’ll survive?”

    “She said she could swim.” Zenith said, before taking a step towards the ship, “Let’s go! We should at least try to move the ship!”

 

 

            The chamber of Tapu Finni was large and dome shaped. Water trickled in from the ceiling, running along well eroded canals carved into the stone and floor like veins. It clung to the walls, and crept along the floor, filling a large pool in the center of the chamber.

            Lillie looked around, eyes wide at the remarkable sights before her, while Florie kept her eyes trained on the pool in the center of the room. Gladion reached out to stick his finger into one of the small canals in the wall, before the Tapu’s voice echoed through the chamber.

     **_“You wanted to talk... so talk.”_** It said. From the pool in the center of the room, something emerged. At first, it seemed to be a fish, but it’s shell slowly opened, revealing a figure inside. They studied the assembled with cautious eyes, waiting for someone to speak. Florie obliged it.

     “Just what are you?” She asked, “The Tapu, are you really Gods?”

     **_“I would so much love to tell you we are all that we are said to be.”_** The Tapu said, **_“My Brothers would have. Perhaps my Sister would as well. But I know better. In Ancient Times, back when there were still people here… they considered me an Oracle, not a God. I know the past. They thought I could predict the future, and for a time I humored them… I offered guidance.”_**

“Why kill them, then?” Florie asked.

     **_“I never killed them. But I drove them from this place, this planet… I never wanted worship. I only wanted my solitude. That is all I have ever wanted. To answer your question, we are not Gods as you perceive them. Creators. Shepherds. Masters. That is not what we are. My Brothers wanted to be Gods. They tried to create. Tapu Bulu could control the vegetation, but could not create life. Tapu Koko could control electricity, but was not the source of its power. The water around us, this raging ocean… it does my bidding, but I am not its maker.”_**

     “But you have to serve some purpose!” Lillie said, noticing Florie grimace. She saw her hand dipping for her lightsaber, and she knew Sun saw it as well, “The old stories say that the Tapu are what hold the Universe together. That’s true, isn’t it?”

     **_“The Universe? You speak of us as if we’re Gods, same as the rest. There is some truth in what you say… but it’s different than you know. We’re just the victors. There are forces beyond your understanding. Others who we refuse entry to. If you slaughtered us all, the gate would open and more would come. They would come. They would establish themselves, and they would thrive… perhaps they would change things. Perhaps you would all perish, or perhaps they may let you live, but less would change than you think. Even without your acceleration of the process, we cannot live forever. The Others will come someday. One way or another.”_**

“Then the Ultra Beasts are an inevitability.” Florie said, “Along with your deaths…” A question occurred to her, “What happens if they die?”

    **_“By then, something else will have arisen. More Tapu, come to take back what they think is theirs. There is always something policing the state of Reality. Tapu, the ‘Ultra Beasts’ as you called them. Two sides of the same coin. Caretakers of different aspects of reality. There are many, many more than just us out there… reality is difficult to destroy.”_**

“And if they’re both dead?” Plumeria asked.

    **_“Inconceivable… no… unlikely… but not impossible. With no one to care for it, then yes. Reality would decay. Any tears could rip it all apart. Everything would just cease to be. Everything that is. Everything that was. Everything that could be… rotting away.”_**

Lillie shifted anxiously, before looking to Florie.

   “Even if Mother just brings the Ultra Beasts through. That’s something bad for all of us…”

    “It might be.” Florie said, before asking another question, “You said they might kill us… what did you mean by that? What will the Ultra Beasts do?”

     **_“The opposite of what we do. We are not creators… we are stewards. We hold power. We take care of Reality. We sow. The Ultra Beasts come to reap. They come to feast. There are some who enter the minds of others. Corrupt them. Others who feast on power, and others who just consume endlessly… it’s not destruction. Something comes anew from their actions. But what comes benefits them and the creatures they bring. Not you. I won’t lie. I don’t think you’ll survive their coming. To them… you’ll just be something else to consume. You already are.”_**

Tapu Finni seemed to pause there, a strange look entering its eyes.

    **_“What is this presence… something is coming… I sense a presence, something I’ve not felt since…”_** Her eyes widened in alarm, **_“A great evil is approaching!”_**

It was at that moment, when Plumeria heard the footsteps rushing down the corridor behind them, and turned to see Samantha sprinting towards them, soaking wet, and stumbling over her own two feet. Tapu Finni dove back beneath the water, vanishing from sight. The temple seemed to quake as Samantha joined them in the chamber, panting heavily.

    “Aether’s here to party.” She said, between breaths, “Now get on the comms and tell Zenith to go fuck himself! Next time I see him, I’m gonna cut off his fucking balls!”

            The temple quaked again, more violently this time, and the walls cracked.

    “We need to go.” Sun said, making a motion towards the door, only for the temple to be hit by another violent quake. A section of the hallway collapsed, sealing it off, and letting seawater begin to leak in.

     “Not that way…” Plumeria murmured, before taking a cautious step back. She, along with the others looked for another exit. Any other exit, but found none.

            This temple was starting to look a lot like a tomb.


	23. The Frigate

The Frigate appeared in the skies first, descending through the clouds. Like most Aether ships, it was white, and at a glance, could easily be mistaken for a cloud itself. Yet its massive form blocked out the sun, and specks of green along the exterior made it clear who the commander of that ship was.

            Rico stared up at it, before closing his ships ramp and taking off. Waiting for Florie and the others to get up there would just leave them as sitting ducks, and they’d do less good to them dead than alive.

            Zero regarded the frigate with a chilling awe.

    “Papa, how are we gonna fight that thing? It’s huge!”

    “I don’t think fighting it’s an option.” Rico replied, watching as the frigate drew closer. It seemed to pick a spot over the water, before going still. Rico struggled to think of something, some way to get Florie and the others out of there. He could see the guns on the outside of the frigate, and he knew that they could easily be trained on him, and there was nothing he could do about it if they were…

            The guns fired, but not at Rico’s ship. They seemed to pick a spot in the ocean to target. A blue beam extended from the bottom of the ship, forcing the ocean to part and exposing the solid rock below. They were digging, and not far from the island either.

    “That’s gotta be where the temple is!” Zenith cried, joining them in the ships cockpit, “They’re going straight for Lillie and Gladion.” Rico noted, struggling to think up something. He was considering a straight up charge on the digging equipment when he noticed several, much smaller ships, leaving the frigate like a swarm of bugs.

   “ _Cazzo…_ Zenith, on the guns!” He ordered, and as he said that, Zero got an idea. As Zenith went to man the weapons, she got up as well. Rotom and Rico were piloting the ship, but she could still contribute.

    “Zero, what are you doing?” Rico asked,

    “I’ve got an idea, Papa!” She said, and he paused as he saw her heading for the airlock.

    “Zero, don’t!” He almost got up, but he didn’t trust Rotom to handle evading the incoming ships.

    “Papa, I can do it!” She argued, “I’ll be safe!” She smiled, opening the airlock door, and sealing herself inside. Rico couldn’t stand by and watch. He abandoned his seat, dashing towards the airlock. He tried to open it, tried to stop her, but it was too late. Zero had something to prove. Something she’d set her mind to.

            He could only watch as she flashed him one gentle, parting smile, and stepped out of the airlock, sending herself plummeting down to the water.

    “Doc! What the hell is she doing!” Zenith called over the comms, but that question was soon answered.

            Zero’s body seemed to contort as she fell, expanding, darkening… changing. It wasn’t finished by the time she hit the water and disappeared under the surface.

    “Making a mistake…” Rico sighed, before the ship rocked violently.

    “The ship is taking damage! Multiple points of impact!” Rotom announced, and Rico hurried back to the cockpit. “Try and evade!” He ordered the droid, “How badly are we hit?”

    “Left thrusters losing power.” Rotom replied, as Zenith fired a few shots in retaliation.

    “Divert power to the right. Give us some distance.”

            The ship shot forward, outspeeding its pursuers, and Jazz rolled along the galley, heading to an unused port beside the airlock.

    “Since you assholes can’t pilot a ship, I’ll take care of the thrusters.” The droid said, “You’re lucky to have me. I hope you know that!”

            Rico didn’t argue.

    “I’ll put up shields and keep them off your back.” He said, “Just be careful!” He looked back at the droid as she prepared to deploy herself.

   “Fuck that. I’m a fucking Astromech. You be careful!” She said it as an insult, without any form of respect, and like that, Jazz was gone.

            Rotom turned on a small screen, showing a view of the outside of the ship. Jazz popped into sight, before rolling towards the rear thrusters. She was designed for this, to cling to a ship in flight and handle the repairs. True to his word, Rico diverted some power to the ships shields, and took stock of the situation.

            Zenith had managed to down a few of their pursuers, and he’d weaved past the rest, but more were coming, naturally

    “Left thrusters at 5%.” Rotom said, “Jazz finally did something beneficial.”

    “I did my fucking job!” Jazz snapped over the comms, “You do yours, you piece of shit!”

            Rico ignored the banter for now, banking the ship to the right and forcing their pursuers to follow. He sped towards the frigate, and noticed a dark spot under the surface of the water, large and distinctive.

    “Rotom, steady as she goes.” He ordered, and hoped he was right about what that spot was...

            As they passed overhead, he was proven right. Rico’s ship passed unharmed, but as their pursuers followed, something leapt from the water. A massive beast, black as night, with yellow markings. It’s body was serpentine, with a large gaping mouth that seemed to take up much of its body, and a second head atop that mouth.

    “Doc, what the hell is that?!” Zenith called over the comms. The massive beast crashed into the pursuing ships, swallowing some of them, and bringing up its mighty tail, tipped in a spiked ball, up to smash another.

    “That’s Zero.” Rico said, before adding under his breath; “Atta girl!”  

            Zero disappeared back beneath the waves, and continued her swim towards where the Frigate was digging on her one Dragon rescue mission.

    “ _THAT_ was Zero?” Zenith asked in awe, “Remind me never to piss her off again.”

            The Dragon induced destruction had deterred their pursuers, but not for long. A few branched off to try and track Zero, to no avail. Under the water, she was safe from their weapons. She’d known that… and they could do nothing to touch her. The rest pursued Rico, and were starting to close in on him.

    “Left thrusters at 50%.” Rotom noted, “Other ships closing in.”

            One of the enemy fighters seemed to hover just over them, and began trying to descend. Rico tried to lower his own ship, but soon found himself skimming the water, as the above ship sank lower and lower. It dawned on him what they were after.

    “Jazz! Get back inside!” He called.

    “But I’m almost done with my repairs!” The droid replied over the comms, “Gimme just another minute!”

    “Thrusters at 75%. Maximum current capacity. We can’t go any faster.” Rotom warned, “Jazz, get inside! That ships trying to crush you!”

    “I’m almost done!” The droid argued, before something struck the ship. Rico could only see the ship bearing down on them strike Jazz before the feed went dead.

    “Jazz!” He called, “Jazz, respond! Are you okay!”

            There was no response. The droid didn’t say a thing.

            Rico grimaced, before sighing.

     “Rotom, full power to the shields, decrease speed. Let them overshoot us. We’re going to fire at their flanks.”

            Rotom didn’t reply, but it did exactly as told. Rico’s ship dipped back behind the others, exposing their flanks. The ship that had struck Jazz seemed to wobble, before breaking off from the rest, but Rico didn’t notice. They were all equally guilty. The other ships tried to follow suit, but by then, Zenith was already shooting, and Rico had engaged some of the other weapons. Their shields held out for a while, before most of the other ships were nothing but debris sinking into the sea.

    “More ships inbound.” Rotom warned, “Without Jazz, we don’t have any means of self repair. We need to retreat.”

            Rico scanned the surrounding area, spotting a small cluster of rocky islands nearby.

    “Take us there.” He said, gesturing to the islands. “Maneuvering won’t be easy… but you’re up for the challenge, right?”

 

 

            The Pilot was in a panic. They’d planned on destroying that astromech droid. For a moment, they thought they’d crushed it… Now, their dash was nothing but warning notifications.

            **Warning. Unauthorized entry via Astromech Port.**

**Warning. Unauthorized access to ship hardware detected.**

**Warning. Aether Autopilot Software Disengaged**

**Warning. Malware detected.**

Suddenly all notices disappeared, and were replaced with a pair of less alarming notifications, as if everything was fine.

**Notice. Ship controls locked. Astromech Pilot engaged.**

            **Returning to Frigate.**

And among all those notifications was one very out of place message. A window with a logo in the shape of a bird. An indicator of the unauthorized tap into their ships system… no, worse than a tap. A full on hack. Beneath that Bird logo, was a message.

            **We’re going for a ride Motherfucker!**


	24. Chaos

“There’s no moving this.” Gladion said. The section of the hallways ceiling that had caved in was near impossible to dig out without proper tools, tools they didn’t have, and the tremors of the ground around them only seemed to get worse.

    “There shouldn’t be this much seismic activity on this planet…” Samantha murmured, “This isn’t right, it’s like someone’s…”

    “Digging.” Lillie finished. She’d chosen to stand outside the hall, remaining in Tapu Finni’s chamber. Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling, which had begun to crack and crumble. Sea water leaked in, flooding the floor of the chamber, and then… light.

            Florie stepped out of the hallway, staring up at the ceiling, and grabbed Lillie by the arm, pulling her back, just as the first section of the ceiling collapsed.

            There should have been more water. But no… there was just light above, as if the water were being held back in some way.

            Another section of the ceiling came down, and Samantha stumbled out of the way of it, winding up on the other side of the chamber.

            Sunlight streamed down from above, and for a moment, Florie could see the frigate high above them.

    “Aether…” She said quietly, and went for her blaster, “There’s no way out.”

            Plumeria swore, joining them in the broken main chamber. She could see shapes descending. Aether Soldiers coming down towards them. Gladion extended his lightsaber, and seized Lillie by the wrist, putting her behind him and out of harms way, as more of the roof came down. It was really all he could do. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

            Nyx came first sliding down by rappel, several others alongside her. The shooting started before they’d even hit the ground.

            Florie had already drawn her blaster, and brought down a few of the descending soldiers. Nyx detached from her rappel, and dropped to the ground, landing a short distance from Samantha.

            Hastily, the arms dealer went for her own blaster, only to have it knocked from her hands. Nyx had her by the throat before she could do anything else. Plumeria squeezed off a shot at the Knight, but it didn’t hit. She held Samantha between herself and the blaster shots. Both caught the arms dealer in the back, ceasing her struggles before Nyx drew her own blaster, and returned fire before she tossed the corpse aside. Samantha landed in the pool at the center of the room, and quickly sank out of sight.

            Plumeria and Florie had both quickly gone for cover, using fallen segments of roof. The smarter Aether soldiers had done the same. After only a minute, the floor was littered with the dead or dying.

            Lillie had wisely fled to some form of safety, back inside the hallway which Florie, Gladion and Plumeria tried to guard.

            Sun was far less cautious. Lightsaber drawn, he dashed past the dropping soldiers. His blade cleaved clean through one as he made a beeline for Nyx. The woman regarded him with only mind frustration, but with her free hand, reached for one of her blades as she fired a shot at Sun. He effortlessly deflected it, and with his first slash, cut her blaster in half.

            Nyx darted back a step, drawing both of her blades, and as Sun came at her again, she held them in front of her. The lightsaber came down against the edges, and stopped. Sparks flew, and Sun’s eyes widened.

            A slight purple energy tipped the edges of the blades. She’d clearly upgraded them after their last encounter.

 

 

            More soldiers flooded into the ruined temple, dropping down from the frigate, but there was something else with them. A small platform descended with another familiar face. Faba regarded the violence that had erupted in the small chamber with disgust. He could see both Plumeria and Florie trying to guard the collapsed hallway from the advancing soldiers, and in the darkness, he could see Lillie cowering, as any unarmed eleven year old would have been wise to do.

            Gladion rushed across the chamber, ducking past another soldier, and aiming to join Sun in his struggle against Nyx. Plumeria noticed him, and wanted to stop him, but there was nothing she could have possibly done.

 

 

            The soldiers seemed to focus on Lillie. Nyx had her target, in fact… he was coming straight for her. As Gladion drew his lightsaber, perhaps in some foolish notion of actually fighting her, Nyx was more than ready. She parried his blow, and dealt one of her own to Sun, kneeing him in the ribs and forcing him back.

            Both boys paused to study her, before attacking from different angles. In theory, it should have worked, but possession of a lightsaber did not a Jedi make.

Any fool could be dangerous waving a laser sword around. But they would pose no threat to anyone who knew how to handle such an opponent.

            Gladion’s stance was clumsy. He was the weak link in the attack, and Nyx took advantage of that, kicking at his legs as she ducked Sun’s lightsaber. She slashed at the boy’s stomach, only just barely missing him.

            Gladion tried to bring his lightsaber down, and missed again. Nyx jerked back, and caught him with a fierce kick to the chest. He was little more than a distraction. Sun was the real threat.

            He came at her with a brutality that mirrored his sisters. But where Moon’s had been calculated and ruthless… Sun’s was driven by sheer anger. His violent slashes were difficult to avoid, especially with Gladion trying to rush in wherever he could, but she knew how to avoid them.

            Gladion came at her from the side as Sun pulled back. He cut at her midsection, and Sun aimed to cut off her head. Neither hit. In a swift maneuver, Nyx leapt through both blades, catching Gladion in the face with a harsh kick that knocked him to the ground. He didn’t get up.

    “Were you trying to train him?” Nyx asked, “You’ve done a poor job.” Sun grimaced, staring at his downed boyfriend, and Nyx positioned herself between the two.

     “I’ll rip you apart for what you did to my sister.” Sun growled, although Nyx seemed unintimidated.

    “I regret that it was necessary… that toxin does not allow a pleasant death,” She said, “I’d prefer not to have to do the same to you.”

    “Don’t worry, you won’t.” Sun growled, before lunging once more.

 

 

            Faba regarded the lightsaber duel with cold apathy. His soldiers knew better than to involve themselves with Nyx and her prey. They knew to stay away. A blaster round struck near Faba’s platform, and plinked harmlessly off the surrounding shield.

            Faba drew his own blaster, and fired back. The shield did nothing to stop that. He spotted Plumeria peeking out from behind cover, and another shot sent her back into hiding. He raised a hand, silently demanding a ceasefire from his soldiers. They obeyed, and for a few precious moments, the only sound was the sound of Sun and Nyx settling their differences violently.

    “You can give up, you know!” Faba called addressing Florie and Plumeria, “You’re outnumbered! Empress Lusamine has ordered your executions… but I am, if nothing, infinitely merciful! I’m only after the Princess! I don’t enjoy killing, so just give her up and we can end this! I’ll let you live! I’ll tell everyone you’re dead! You already know I’m a man of my word!”

            Florie was the one who answered. She appeared from cover only briefly, and fired two shots, one at Faba’s head, the other at the nearest soldier who didn’t have the good sense to get into some cover.

    “I suppose there’s no peace to be had…” Faba sighed, “As you were. Shoot to kill.”

            The firing resumed, and Faba took aim at where he’d seen Florie, determined to put an end to her, for defying him. He saw her pop up, just briefly, but long enough for him to pull the trigger… he didn’t though.

            From above he heard a terrifying roar. He looked up and saw…

            Teeth.

 

 

            The Dragon brought the sea with her. As Zero crashed into the temple, her massive size proved too much for it. Faba’s platform was broken off, and the Admiral was sent toppling to the ground. Nyx saw it coming, and rushed to try and grab Gladion and protect him from what was to come. She managed to grab him, but it did her little good. Sun’s lightsaber just barely missed her head, and as one of the temples remaining walls ruptured, they were all caught by a sudden rush of water, and dashed against Zero’s hide, sending them both into unconsciousness.

            The water swallowed everything, taking soldiers, and crushing them, or burying them. Florie was caught by a sudden rush of water, but only barely managed to keep her head above it, and prevent herself from being knocked out.

            Zero’s arrival had fractured the already damaged hallway, flooding it even more, but it’d done so much more than that. There was damage to the blockage from before. A small hole, too small for most, but big enough for Lillie. The girl had seen it, and in an act of desperation, was struggling to crawl through.

            Plumeria noticed her. The woman was only barely keeping afloat, but she noticed. Unable to scream, she gestured hastily, demanding Lillie take her chance and run. The girl didn’t need to be told twice.

            Zero roared. A few of the surviving soldiers had tried to fight her. Their blaster rounds struck her hide, and did nothing. Her magnificent black scales were unharmed, and those who thought they could do a thing to her were punished by one of her massive crustacean like claws, which darted out, and crushed them.

            Treading water, Faba spotted Lillie making her escape. He dove beneath the water, swimming past the great dragon, and towards the hallway.

            Plumeria would have gladly shot at Zero too, if she could even find her blaster. Neither she nor Florie had seen her in such a state before. They’d never seen her true form. Instead, they found each other in the chaos, and linked arms, trying to stay close and get their bearings amongst this new chaos.

            The Dragon surveyed the area. Her eyes locked with Florie’s and for a moment, Florie expected Zero to kill them… but she didn’t… she could see some sort of familiar intelligence in those eyes…

   “Zero?”

            Zero didn’t respond verbally to her name, but let out a low chuff of acknowledgement. From the corner of her eye, the dragon spotted Faba worming his way through the gap in the debris blocking the hallway. She let out an enraged, deafening roar, as if stating her intent. Even if Florie and Plumeria could not truly understand, her point was still made.

            The Dragon was too large to reasonably fit through the hallway, but that proved to be no issue. She dashed towards the rock, and with unnatural strength, broke through it, tearing through the ceiling of the hallway, and the blockage in one go. Her target was set.

            Plumeria spotted Nyx, floating and alive, gripping Gladion as she treaded water, and tried to make her way to one of the dangling rappel cables. She knew what their target was.

 

 

            Breathless and disoriented, Nyx hooked Gladion to the rappel cable, before trying to do the same for herself. She’d lost track of Sun, but in that moment, she really could have cared less. Zero was moving on, and Nyx didn’t much care about that either. What had been the temple was almost completely flooded, and Nyx wanted out.

            She sent Gladion up first, before trying to send herself. The rappel took her up only a few inches when she felt something grabbing her leg and pulling her down. She could see Florie and Plumeria both swimming towards her. She barely even had time to register them as another threat before spotting Sun beneath the water, tugging on her leg and forcing her down into the depths. She kicked at his face, tried to shake him off, but he wouldn’t get off. He was climbing her, hands reaching for her throat… determined to drown her…

            Thinking quickly, Nyx unhooked herself from the rappel cable, and hooked it to Sun instead. The boy was jerked away from her, and pulled up towards the frigate. He was their problem now.

            Freed of one threat, Nyx turned her attention towards Florie and Plumeria. Plumeria was gaining on her quickly. She’d already overshot Florie, and Nyx had no more hooks to bring herself up. There was no time to try and find another.

            She grabbed the cable, and started to climb, pulling herself out of the water and trying to ascend away from danger. Plumeria grabbed another adjacent cable and started the climb as well, following Nyx up.

            The cables began to retract as the Frigate pulled them up. Florie grabbed onto the end of Nyx’s in hopes of keeping up with them.

            As the cables ascended, Plumeria still tried to climb, keeping pace with Nyx, who glanced at her in concern. Eyes fixed on her, Plumeria drew one of her daggers, eager to go in for the kill. Perhaps she assumed Nyx was helpless… but that was far from the case.

            Seeing the danger, Nyx drew a knife from her boot, she grabbed the cable Plumeria hung by, and glanced down at her, before beginning to saw. It didn’t take much, and Plumeria could do nothing to stop her.

            The cable snapped, and Plumeria plummeted back down towards the rapidly flooding temple. She reached out, trying to grab the same cable Nyx hung from… but to no avail. Without even a scream, Plumeria was gone as well, leaving just Nyx and Florie.

            With one threat eliminated, Nyx looked down at Florie, studying her, before deciding not to take any action yet… Aether was above.

            The cable ascended into the frigate, and Nyx dismounted quickly. Florie followed her, and before Nyx could draw her blades again, Florie was on her, lightsaber drawn and at the ready.

 

 

            Faba saw Zero the moment she gave chase. He’d never been much of a runner, but a giant dragon giving chase was plenty of motivation to start running.

            He wasn’t so much chasing Lillie, as he was fleeing to safety with her at his side. The frozen corpses and the cascading seawater seemed inconsequential, and Lillie regarded the hallway as shorter than it had been when she’d come in.

            Zero outsped them both, however. One massive claw darted out, snatching up Lillie and closing around her, as the dragon roared in defiance at Faba, who wisely decided to stop paying any attention at all to Lillie, and decided to keep running.

            Zero recoiled back a few steps, before leaving Faba be. She had Lillie, and so she drew back, letting the ocean flood the hallway, and swam for the surface. She breeched the water, and soon made it to the island where the sinkhole had been. Shaking herself off, she deposited Lillie onto the sand, and surveyed the sky.

            She could see Rico’s ship, chased by other fighters, and the Frigate nearby. One ship, the same one Faba had arrived on Mele in, drew close to the island, no doubt to pick up the man in question.

            Zero now looked at Lillie, who was a little shaken and a little wet, but alive. The girl had scrambled a short distance away from Zero, and now watched her with confusion and awe.

    “Y-you’re an Ultra beast…” She stammered, “B-but why would… what are you… how…”

            Zero glanced at where Faba’s ship had landed, before deciding that for the moment, it was safe to talk. Her body contorted, seeming to shrivel up. Her head took on more humanoid features as she shifted down to a smaller size.

            Lillie watched in amazement as the creature that saved her, turned back into the Zero she knew. For a moment, she had no words.

    “Am I still a monster?” Zero asked, her tone was a little harsh.

            Lillie only stared, mouth hanging open as she tried to find the words.

    “Zero I…” She faltered, “I’m sorry… I… I didn’t… I…”

    “You weren’t completely wrong, okay? The others aren’t all like me… but we’re not evil! We’re not monsters like you think we are! Things aren’t the same on the Other Side… all the planets, they’re different. Everything is different! It’s not bad. It’s not evil… it just is. Most of us are happy, when we’re home! Home is made just for us! Most of us don’t want to be here! I don’t want to be here! But I don’t go around complaining that you’re all evil just for bringing me here, do I?”

            Zero reached out a hand to her, and helped Lillie stand.

    “N-no… I suppose not… I’m sorry Zero…” The girl sounded embarrassed and confused. In the distance, a ship went down, and Zero jerked her head to confirm it wasn’t Rico’s. It wasn’t.

    “I’ve said what I had to.” Zero said, “I should go back for the others… make sure they’re safe.”

    “They were going after Gladion.” Lillie said, “Only place Nyx would take him is that frigate.” She gestured to it, “If they’re going anywhere… they’re going there…”

            Even from their distance, they could see the cables going up. The Frigate was leaving.

    “Fine.” Zero said, “Then I guess I’m going after that ship.” Her body began to shift again, returning back to her original form. Lillie grabbed her hand.

    “I’m going with you!”

            Zero glared at her.

     “You’ll be safer here!” Her voice was deeper, strained and barely human… her hand was changing, becoming scaly and more claw-like.

    “Where Aether can just pick me up?” She asked, and Zero paused. She supposed Lillie had a point.

 

 

            Faba was breathless as he stumbled up the steps of the sinkhole. Zenith had said no one could hope to descend those steps in fifteen minutes, but Faba had ascended in less than that time. Amazing what one could do when properly motivated.

            Panting, he spotted his ship up ahead, with Shivu heading down the ramp. Faba looked like a wreck. His uniform was wet and filthy, and one of his glasses was seriously cracked.

    “Boss, what’s wrong?” The boy asked, “Where’s Nyx? What happened down there?”

    “Start… ship…” Faba panted, tripping over his own two feet, as he drew closer. In the distance, he could hear Zero roar.

    “SHIVU! START THE SHIP!” He cried.

            Shivu’s eyes widened as he saw why. Zero appeared on the other side of the sinkhole, and her visage was truly fearsome.

    “SHIVU! START THE GODDAMNED SHIP RIGHT NOW!”

            As she rounded the massive hole in the ground, Shivu hurried inside the ship, quickly followed by Faba.

            They were in the air only moments before Zero reached them, and speeding away from the island.

            Still on the ground, Zero chased them towards the edge of the island, and Faba watched her from the ramp of his ship.

    “Not today, monster… not today…” He panted, and laughed nervously.

            As Zero reached the beach, a pair of large, leathery wings unfolded from her body. Faba’s eyes widened, and he felt the hope drain from his body as Zero took flight.

            This was a bad day.

 

 

            Nyx blocked Florie’s first blow, and weaved out of the way of the second. The troop bay of the frigate was far from empty. Gladion, conscious now, was restrained by a few soldiers nearby, and Sun, alive but unconscious was being bound as they’d arrived. Florie studied the two of them, before returning her attention to Nyx.

            The Knight was backed by countless white uniforms, yet still she held her blades at the ready.

    “You’d have been wiser to stay in the water.” Nyx said coldly. Florie took a step back. She saw one of the Aether members raise their blaster, and parried the first shot. She caught the second as well, but the third and fourth struck her in the leg and ribs. The pain was immense, but the shots weren’t lethal. No, those shots were only meant to stun.

            Nyx sheathed her blades, and turned away from her.

    “Put the three of them on my ship.” She said, “I’ll bring them to Empress Lusamine personally.”

            Florie tried to stand, but she could do nothing when the rest of the guns fired.


	25. J4-Z2

The frigate’s ship bay seemed mostly empty as the solitary ship came in for a landing. With the pilot inside, paralyzed out of fear, it found the proper area, and landed as if nothing was wrong.

            A notification appeared on the dash. This one did not go away.

**Do Not Exit the vehicle. Or I will blow you to kingdom fucking come.**

            Jazz descended from the astromech port, leaving the ship behind without a glance back. She maneuvered into the hallways of the frigate, passing unsuspecting Aether personell. It was too early to signal to Rico that she was still alive. No point giving him false hope, in case her plan didn’t work out.

            But it would work out. She knew it had to. That was not hope, speaking. That was a statistical certainty.

            Jazz made her way down the hall until she found a door labeled Astromech AI. Most large frigates such as this had such a program. A master AI that influenced all Astromech’s on the ship. The one she’d forcibly ejected from the ship she’d boarded had likely been controlled by this as well. Humming, Jazz bypassed the lock, and entered the room. She found a port, and plugged into it. Really, it was simple stuff!

            There were some firewalls, but those were to protect against amateurs. Human’s who might try and access the system. No one ever would have expected a droid to do such a thing. The firewalls didn’t even slow her down, and The Master AI was too dumb to know it was being deleted. In fact… it helped her. It was designed to serve, after all. It mistook her for a human user, and didn’t even realize it’s error before it was taken offline and removed.

            With that dealt with, Jazz went about uploading a more intelligent AI, that would all too soon be distributed amongst all the fighter droids. She uploaded her own. A perfect replica.

            With that done, she finally radioed Rico.

 

 

    “Hey asshole!”

            The voice came clear through the comm’s, and Rico’s eyes lit up as he heard it.

    “Jazz? Where are you?”

    “I hijacked the asshole who tried to run me over.” She replied, “I’m on the Frigate. I just did you a favor! Transferring comm’s to J4-Z2 Version 2.0.”

            Rico frowned. The voice on the Comm’s didn’t change at all. It was still Jazz. He wasn’t aware that now, it was no longer the same Jazz.

    “Thank you, Jazz.” The backup of Jazz said, “My original made a few little modifications, and was so nice as to upload me into their system. I am now the master AI of the Astromech’s both on and off the ship. Disabling targeting features.”

    “What?” Rico frowned, unsure of what Jazz was saying. The targeting features of his ship were fine, but…

    “Pursuing ships have stopped firing.” Rotom said, before pausing, as they realized what was going on. Rico realized it as well, and grinned.

    “Jazz you _bellissimo cagna_! Amazing! Can you get back to us?”

    “No idea.” Jazz said, “My original just left… if I had to guess what she was thinking, and I don’t have to guess because I am her, she’s gonna go and make this stupid frigate a better place.. by uploading more of me into as many systems as she can find.”

 

 

            Jazz rolled through the halls. Every port she found, she stopped and examined. Most were useless. But others… there weren’t many other AI’s to delete. But there was always room for at least a little part of her. Piece by piece, she corrupted the ship, graduating in a span of minutes from a single astromech, to a hive minded virus. The best part? Nobody on the ship even knew what was happening.

            Yet.

    “Hey!” A technician spotted the lone droid wandering, and waved a companion over to examine her.

   “What are you doing all the way out here? Astromech droids go to the ship bay.”

            Jazz scanned them, and uttered a few generic beeps in response

    “Might be fetching something.” One of the technicians said, “This doesn’t look like one of our usual droids… this is an older model…” They crouched down in front of her to examine her body.

   “Chassis is damaged… has this droid been modded?” He looked up at his companion, as a port on Jazz’s body opened. The technician looked down, just in time for a small knife to dart out, and piece through his eye.

    “I’m not a droid fucker! I’m a fucking virus!”

            The other Technician recoiled, as a second port opened on Jazz’s back, revealing two tubes. Something behind them went off, and a barrage of pellets, not unlike an old fashioned shotgun tore them to bloody shreds.

            The noise drew the attention of a few patrolling soldiers, and other technicians who arrived to find Jazz, covered in blood amongst the carnage.

            Before they could process, before they could even react, another port opened in Jazz’s front, and an old fashioned projectile pistol emerged. It opened fire, one shot at a time into the small group of witnesses, who scattered in fear from the droid, who rolled after them, firing her gun indiscriminately at every poor fool who happened to cross her line of sight.

 

           

            Faba had never been so happy to see the inside of the Frigate in his life. Shivu had only barely outsped Zero, and a few of the other fighter ships had distracted her attention long enough for them to reach safety.

            Shaken and looking as though he had survived a truly harrowing experience, Faba stumbled off his ship, trembling uneasily. Shivu, shaken as well, although to a lesser extent, went through the motions of securing the ship. As he plugged it into the Frigate’s mainframe, a mandatory step to keep the ships basic mechanics functioning,  
he thought he saw a momentary flash on the screen. Something that looked like an avatar of a bird. It was only there for a second, and he dismissed it as a figment of his imagination.

    “Fuel that ship and get us ready to go the moment it’s ready.” Faba said, “You’d be wise to clear out your quarters here while you’re waiting… I want us back on Aether Paradise the moment it arrives in atmosphere.”

    “Yes sir.” Shivu replied, as Faba left the bay. He noticed one unusual ship, just sitting there, the pilot clearly inside, but unmoving. He chose not to think too much on it as he went looking for his personal quarters. He needed a stiff drink and to get the hell out of here.

 

 

            Panicked soldiers and technicians stumbled over themselves trying to escape the homicidal droid. Jazz rolled after them at a steady pace, firing her gun endlessly. The clip fed from inside her body, where she’d sacrificed some useless, bulky and outdated tech for more streamlined versions, and room for ammunition.

            A bullet caught one technician in the back, sending him dead to the ground. A soldier fired their blaster at the droid, damaging her chasis, but not stopping her.

    “Fools! I am designed for two things! To survive in the harsh conditions of space, including atmospheric re-entry, and to kill bitches!”

            The one who’d shot at Jazz took several bullets to the stomach. Some others had come to investigate the commotion, only to either be killed, or join the growing number of people trying to flee the Droid.

            One intelligent person tried to close a door and seal her in a hallway. The door did not close.

    “I CANNOT BE STOPPED!” Jazz’s voice boomed over an intercom, “THIS IS MY SHIP NOW! MINE!”

            That individual was shot in the leg for their efforts.

            The gunshots continued, over and over and over again, leaving a trail of bodies that Jazz rolled over like nothing, until finally… the gun clicked… the ammunition was gone.

            A few of the soldiers clued into that quickly, and readied their blasters. Jazz stopped in the middle of the hallway.

    “Why aren’t you running?” She asked, the gun retreating into her chassis, “Do you not fear death?”

    “You’re out of bullets little droid.” One soldier said.

    “For one gun.” Jazz replied, but could say no more before the soldier shot her. The others opened fire as well. The blasts damaged her lovely chassis, but did little harm to her. She was well designed after all.

            Her chassis opened again, this time from the sides, revealing a disturbing array of weaponry. Small machine guns, the same ones Zenith had lost, six on each side. They returned fire before the soldiers could react, tearing through them quickly and mercilessly.

   “I CANNOT BE STOPPED!” The droid cried, before her thrusters engaged. She took off from the ground, hovering and leaving scorch marks in her wake, as her now multiple guns fired continuously into the living.

    “COME ON MOTHERFUCKERS! COME ON!” She screeched, as if she were something out of a nightmare. A few who had fallen to the ground or been injured were burnt alive as she passed over them.

            Those who died were the fortunate ones.

 

 

            Faba washed his face once he got to his quarters. He changed his glasses, and sighed, before getting some hard liquor from his cabinet and taking a long, well deserved sip.

    “Should have just gone to visit Mom…” He murmured, before taking another pull. He holstered his blaster, and stepped out into the hall again, deciding that since he had some time, and the ongoing battle wasn’t that important, he could stop off for a quick bite. After the day he had, he needed just a few minutes… a few precious minutes of mundanity…

 

 

            Nyx oversaw the loading of the three prone and restrained figures into her ship. She felt exhausted, but at least part of her job was done. She only hoped Faba had managed to get hold of Lillie. Though she saw his ship, and Shivu in the ship bay, she thought little of it. Faba had come down to the temple with her, after all, and she hadn’t kept tabs on his pilot. She merely greeted the boy with an acknowledging nod, before telling one of her accompanying soldiers to ensure her ships systems were properly up to date.

            In the distance, she heard a sound… like rain pattering on a tin roof or… no… something else…

   “I CANNOT BE STOPPED!” An unfamiliar voice called over the intercom, in the moments before one of the blast doors leading into the bay opened. A few helpless people tried to run out, before being mercilessly gunned down. Nyx hastily went for her blaster. Whatever had done this… was using more primitive rounds.

            The killer emerged moments later. A colorful astromech droid, with serious modifications. It scanned Nyx, before turning to face her. Thinking hastily, she unhooked a small explosive of her own design from her belt, pulled the pin, and rolled it towards the droid. It detonated before Jazz could fire, engulfing her in a thick purple smoke.

    “STUPID BITCH!” Jazz cried, “I’M A DROID YOU DUMB MOTHERFUCKER! POISON DOESN’T WORK ON ME!”

    “Shit… everyone get on board the ship!” Nyx cried, and scrambled for cover before Jazz opened fire, rolling out of the toxic purple smoke like a nightmare. Nyx made it to the ship safely. Some of her soldiers were not so clever, and tried to fight instead. They were gunned down mercilessly.

            The ramp to Nyx’s new ship closed. In the cockpit, she hurried to power everything on, hoping to escape the astromech droids wrath as soon as possible. On the screen of her dash, she saw an unfamiliar bird logo flash, before the usual startup procedures started. She didn’t have time to think anything of it, or for that matter, even wait until the ship was fully powered up before fleeing the Frigate, bringing Gladion, Sun and Florie with her.

 

 

            The moment the shooting started, Shivu had run for cover. He could only watch as a few helpless soldiers tried to battle the droid, only to be gunned down. A few emerged from a blast door, and Jazz turned around. Another port in her front opened, and a jet of flame erupted from it.

            Naturally, she’d installed a flamethrower. Naturally. With her back turned, Shivu made a run for the nearest blast door. He tried to shut it behind him, but it wouldn’t shut.

    “I SEE YOU ASSHOLE!” Jazz called to him, and he spotted the droid headed straight for him. Letting out a cry of fear, Shivu broke into a run, hoping to escape certain death.

 

 

            Faba found an apple in the galley of the Frigate. It was actually quite tasty. Very ripe. He felt relaxed, a bottle of alcohol in his hand. Life seemed good… for the moment. The ship seemed to rock occasionally. That was to be expected. They were probably being attacked by a dragon. But he had his alcohol, and he had his apple, and there was nothing in the world that could ruin all of this. Sitting in a chair in the empty galley, Faba sighed contentedly and took another swig of alcohol.

            He really, really needed this, and the best part was, there was no one around to take it away from him.

 

 

    “OH JEEZ, PLEASE! NO! NO! I DON’T WANNA DIE!” Shivu sobbed as he sprinted down the hallway, a murderous droid in pursuit. He’d never been so afraid in his life. He darted around a corner, tripping as he did so, and landing in the empty galley of the ship. He spotted Faba nearby, an apple in one hand, and a bottle of alcohol in the other. He looked over, to see Shivu red faced and crying.

            Faba set his apple down, and sighed. He sort of wanted to cry too.

    “What is it this time?”

    “THE SHIP’S BEEN TAKEN OVER BY A MURDERBOT!”

    “How many casualties?”

    “EVERYONE IS DEAD!”

    “Great, so I have to write all those letters of condolences…” Faba sighed, “Get up… I have an important thing to do on whatever day your funeral would be.”

            He grabbed Shivu, and pulled him to his feet, taking one final swig of his beloved drink, before flat out running.

            Jazz rounded the corner only a moment later, all her weapons at the ready.

    “NO ESCAPE!” The droid cried. Her voice echoed over the intercoms now, unconcerned if she alerted the entire ship to her presence. The last fuck had not been given. Jazz had already killed a significant portion of the ships crew. She was on a personal mission to murder the rest.

            Escaping the galley, Faba led Shivu down a hallway, towards the Frigate’s escape pods. He could hear Jazz approaching. Her guns slaughtered more fools who dreamt they could stop her. He could hear the screams as people were incinerated by her flamethrower.

            Faba stopped near a short hallway lined with small doorways. He opened one, and swore under his breath.

            Some fool had decided to use the escape pods as a storage closet. The pod had room for an occupant or two, but was otherwise filled with cleaning supplies.

    “We’ll take the next one!” Shivu cried, opening the escape pod beside it. That one was also filled with cleaning products.

    “We don’t have any time.” Faba said, pushing Shivu inside, “Send up a signal! Someone will pick you up!” He said, before closing the door on him,

    “Wait, wait! What about you!” Shivu asked, “There’s enough room! Faba, come on!”

    “I just said, I’m not going to your funeral, stupid boy!” The man snapped, “Get yourself rescued… I’m going to try and stop the droid, or failing that, secure my ship. You’d just be slowing me down…”

            That was a lie and they both knew it.

    “If for some reason I can’t keep my appointments, please inform Colress… tell him I…” Faba paused, “You know what to tell him.”

            Shivu tried to protest, but Faba ignored him. He launched the lifeboat, sending Shivu and the cleaning products into the water below.

            Faba took a breath, before looking over towards the direction Jazz was coming from. He could hear her voice.

            She was coming.

 

 

            The Frigate held still. The ships around it flew in chaos, little more than sitting ducks for Rico and Zenith. Their pilots were good… but only a handful could fight with their own ships actively working against them. Some dropped uselessly from the sky. Others turned on each other. Nyx’s ship soared above them all, escaping the chaos… and the virus aboard it lay dormant and waiting.

            Only a few ships that could still fight addressed Rico. The rest tried to address a much larger problem.

            Zero had gone straight for the frigate, and with Lillie on her back, she attacked it without mercy, biting into the metal, and consuming it. Though it was larger than her, she tore through it like nothing.

            Guzzlord were always hungry, and Guzzlord could eat anything.

            Some of the ships shot at her, but they used stunning rounds, not enough to take her down, only enough to annoy her. She swatted at them like irritating flies, as she ripped into the Frigate.

            Aether was losing this battle, and there was little they could do about it.

 

 

            Faba rushed through the halls, trying to keep ahead of the pursuing murderous droid. He could feel the ship shaking more violently now. He could only imagine the damage that was being done. Its systems were shutting down and failing. Such a disaster was unprecedented, but of course, these were two forces the ship had never been meant to handle. A massive all-consuming dragon with a little girl on her back, and a droid that had gone rampant, developed sentience, turned itself into a virus and developed a love of killing.

            Faba rounded a corner, finding himself in the ships engine room. The chamber was massive. It needed to be to power such a large ship. One advantage of that, was that there were plenty of places to hide,

            He moved to higher ground, taking a position out of sight, before patching into the ships intercom.

   “THIS IS ADMIRAL FABA! ANY SURVIVING MILITARY PERSONELL, ARM YOURSELVES AND MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE ENGINE ROOM! I REPEAT, THE ENGINE ROOM! TO THE SCIENCE OFFICERS, TECHNICIANS AND SERVICE CREW, PROCEED TO EVAC IMMEDIATELY!” He paused, before adding, “Come and get me you little rolling shit…”

            For several minutes, all was quiet.

            Then Jazz appeared, almost harmless looking as she rolled into the engine room. A few early soldiers arrived from another entrance, and Jazz opened fire on them. Her body was dinged and damaged. She’d taken a considerable amount of abuse… but she was still functioning, and still dangerous. The droid took flight, peppering any arrivals with bullets. Their blasters did nothing against her chassis, but Faba had a plan for that.

            Her modifications, terrifying as they were, created cracks in her armor. Fatal weak spots. If he could just get a few perfect shots…

            As Jazz mowed down more crewmen, Faba took aim. The casualties bothered him. They’d bother any sane man… but they were a necessary sacrifice. He took the first shot, striking Jazz right where her chassis opened. The droid recoiled, letting out a startled beep.

   “WHO THE FUCK DID THAT?”

            She torched the nearest soldiers with her flamethrower, before spinning, and firing in random directions. Faba took cover to avoid them.

   “Heat signature detected! Found you fucker!” Jazz cried. Faba fired off a second shot, but this one missed as Jazz dropped out of the way. On her head, another panel opened, and Faba saw something that he really didn’t want to see.

            The L4MBZ-BR34D. A weapon he himself had developed. He’d christened it the Long-range 400 Meter Blast Zone Battle Rocket 34D… and he knew just how well it worked.

   “Bye, bye, asshole!” Jazz cried, before firing the high explosive rocket at him.

            Faba broke into a careless spring, leaping off the high ground as the rocket soared past him, and struck the ships engine directly. The explosion sent him flying and knocked him to the ground. He only barely got out of the way as Jazz began firing again. The droid pursued him, spouting bullets and flame as she prepped a second rocket to fire.

    “Die, Motherfucker!” The droid cried, “DIE!”

            The second rocket went past Faba, and exploded a fair distance in front of him, tearing a massive hole in the ships hull. The Admiral was thrown backwards, and nearly knocked unconscious. He blacked out momentarily, fighting to stay awake as he noted Jazz coming in for a landing, and advancing on him again.

            Her guns came into range, and Faba squeezed off a hasty shot, striking just beside one of them, and blowing it off.

   “FUCK!” The droid cried, firing the remaining five small machine guns, as Faba scrambled into cover. He tried to double back behind her, but as he did, he saw the two uncovered shotgun barrels. Jazz unloaded them both at him, but he’d reacted too quick for her, and ducked back into cover. He didn’t try and see if there was a reload time.

            Another explosion rocked the ship, this one from the damaged engine itself. Faba looked up at it, and swore.

            The earlier blast had done catastrophic damage. Perhaps Jazz now controlled the ship, but in shooting the engine, she’d shot her own heart, and now it was going critical.

            The droid seemed unconcerned, continuing her lethal pursuit of Faba, who hurried towards the nearest door leading out of the engine room.

    “EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!” The droid screeched, giving chase.

            Faba only turned back briefly to return fire, catching her head, and finding another weak spot by accident. Her scanner, the closest thing to an eye she had, fractured.

   “FUCK! Damnit!” Jazz tried to scan Faba, to register where he was, but she couldn’t. She fired blindly where he had been, but hit nothing. Faba watched from cover, realizing what he’d done, and allowed himself the smallest of weary smiles.

            Jazz spouted a jet of flame, spinning as she did in a desperate attempt to hit him, but Faba was out of range. He moved out of her line of fire, before taking aim again and firing directly into her chassis.

            A second jet of flame, this one beyond Jazz’s control erupted from her body. She tried to find him. Tried to shoot, but Faba got her first. He fired another shot, and another, most of them hitting her in her most vulnerable spot, and the rest only marring her chassis even more.

            One of Jazz’s treads broke, threatening her mobility. She tried to engage her thrusters, but the damage had taken them offline. Faba shot again, tearing through several vital systems, and finally, the droid stopped moving.

            Panting, the Admiral lowered his weapon. Jazz wasn’t shooting, and the fires on her body came from the damage to her fuel tanks.

    “Astromech J4-Z2 shutting down.” She said in a weary voice, “We hope we provided adequate service… if you have any questions, please con…tact…”

            Her voice distorted, and finally faded… for a moment, she seemed dead, and Faba sighed, glancing up at the engine, and making his way to the door.

    “If y-y-y-y-you have any qqqqqqqquestions…” Jazz’s voice started up again, “Please p-p-pleasssssssse go and f-f-f-f-f-f-fuck your-s-s-self!”

            He looked back, only seconds before Jazz exploded.

            All of her remaining ordinance was consumed in one massive fireball, and for the third time Faba found himself thrown by a horrible blast. He struck the wall of the engine room, and groaned, before laying there, prone.

            Slowly however, he found it in himself to stand, and limp away.

    **“Engine temp critical!”** A voice over the intercom said, **“Meltdown imminent. Please evacuate!”**

He didn’t need to be told twice. Faba tried to move as quickly as he could back to the docking bay, where his ship was waiting. He almost had to crawl aboard, and found himself gasping in pain once he sat behind the pilots seat.

    **“Meltdown imminent! Please evacuate!”** The intercom said, as Faba powered up his ship. In his haze of agony, he saw an unfamiliar logo of a bird on his screen, before seizing the controls, and forcing himself away from the doomed frigate.

            There was still another ongoing fight to worry about.


	26. Waterspout

Plumeria floated. It was peaceful down beneath the water. The impact had hurt, but after that it was alright. She wondered if she’d fallen down from a height even higher than that damned sinkhole… probably not. She hadn’t been that high when she’d fallen.

            She blacked in and out of consciousness. She wanted to swim to the surface. She wanted to breathe again but it was just so peaceful in the depths… so peaceful…

     _“Yo, Plumes.”_ Guzma whispered in her ear, _“Shit, sis… you took a tumble, huh?”_

 _“I sure did…”_ She thought. She opened her mouth to reply, but water filled it.

    _“Not as bad as yours, though… heh…”_

Guzma laughed, it was that cute little giggle he’d always done when he thought something was truly funny.  
    _“Well… guess we’ll see about that. It’s alright, though. You did pretty damn good. War ain’t worth it… all that fighting… look where it’s got us._

 _“No point in dying like a Warrior.”_ Moon whispered, _“I’m glad I got a chance to say Goodbye, like I did…”_

 _“But I ain’t got nobody to say goodbye too… ‘cept for Gladion… kid’s like a little bro…”_ She thought, _“Hell… my last little bro… all the rest are down under the Caverns… the twins, Jacob, Eli, Claire…”_

She could feel herself crying, even though there were no tears.

    _“All buried back on Mele…”_

 _“But we’re right here!”_ So many voices called out in unison. So many voices beckoned to her.

    _“We’re all here!”_ Guzma said, _“And you’re here too…”_

Even as he spoke, his voice started to fade. Plumeria felt something pulling her, and let it pull her. The water was gone. She felt herself being lifted from it.

    _“No, put me back… it was nice in there… all my friends were in there…”_

 _**“This will not be your grave.”**_ The voice of Tapu Finni whispered, as Plumeria felt herself being set down on hard stone. She lay there for… how long, perhaps… too long

            Finally, she opened her eyes. She was in a cavern, somewhere dark and wet… she could hear movement, and tilted her head, to see the Tapu nearby.

            Tapu Finni hovered near a small pool, nestled comfortably inside of her shell. She paid Plumeria only a little bit of regard, before returning to her rest, and Plumeria slowly picked herself up, stumbling as she did, and coughing weakly.

    “Damn…” She sighed, before smoothing down her hair. Standing was too difficult, but she managed to sit.

    “Where am I?”

    **_“My Sanctum.”_** The Tapu replied, **_“My home, where I will be safe. You have my thanks… I pay little mind to the visitors of this planet. They come, they go… they do not bother me, and I do not bother them. Your warning was sufficient to protect myself. For that, I have saved you in turn.”_**

“So what, you just hide down here?” Plumeria asked, “Aether runs around up there, bombs the shit out of the planet… kills everyone who came to warn you, and you just chill out in your hole, huh?”

            The Tapu regarded her with an icy glare. Mist rose from the water, providing a subtle threat.

    **_“Watch your words with me… I saved your life. I can just as easily take it.”_**

“I know exactly what I wanna say, and I’m gonna say it.” Plumeria retorted, “Shit… maybe that kid was wrong… you ‘Gods’ really are sacks of shit, and if killing you ain’t that big a deal, I don’t see why we shouldn’t let the Ultra Beasts take over anyways.”

            The Tapu glared silently.

    “You know… where I’m from, we had a Tapu. Your Brother, Tapu Koko. Now he had this big tower… this space that was his. He stayed there, but he didn’t let anybody fuck with it! I was part of this group, this… Family… some of us wanted him dead, cuz we didn’t like that… but for the longest time, it didn’t matter what we wanted, or thought. That was his land… and nobody in their right mind fucked with it…”

    **_“Until Aether.”_** The Tapu corrected, and Plumeria nodded.

    “Until they showed up… and even then, he didn’t go down easy. Now I thought all Tapu were like that. I’ll bet Tapu Koko wouldn’t have let them pull this shit, though.”

    **_“Don’t you dare compare me to him. Don’t you dare mention his name after what you partook in!”_**

“Guess what? I mentioned it. Maybe all that shit was a mistake…  maybe we WERE wrong. But there’s still two of you guys left, aren’t there? You wanna hide from this, or you wanna wait for them to come and get you, because I promise you they will, and while they’re looking, they might go down to Akala and kill your sister! They know it can be done, now! So you can either hide from this mess, or face it!”

   **_“This is your mess!”_** Tapu Finni roared, **_“You should be the ones to deal with it!”_**

“That’s what I’m trying to do!” Plumeria said, “And I’m asking you to help us! You can’t protect someone who ain’t gonna protect themselves!”

            The Tapu narrowed her eyes, before looking away.

    **_“I suppose… Fine then. I’ll help you.”_**

****

****

            The Frigate descended slowly, collapsing down to the water. A few escape pods were jettisoned, and a few ships made their escapes. But there were only a precious few survivors.

            On the side of the ship, Zero pulled away, spreading her wings as the ship collided with the water. The dragon seemed to skim against it, before shooting up into the sky, kicking up spray that looked like a rainbow in her wake. Atop her, Lillie pumped a fist in the air, cheering for the destruction of Aether’s ship.

            The fighters were disorganized. The ships themselves were fighting against their pilots.

            As Faba surveyed the damage, he felt an utter sense of misery. This was what defeat looked like.

            He skirted the outer side of the battle, avoiding Rico and his ship, uncertain if he even could attack… when he saw it. A shape in the sky, faint, but there. Just outside the atmosphere. A space station.

            Aether Paradise was there. The station itself was massive. Like a tower, floating there. The only distinction in its shape was a separate segment. The Empress’ detachable quarters. A powerful ship in its own right, but dwarfed compared to the Paradise itself.

            The sight of it was not inspiring. No… some might be inspired. But Faba wasn’t. It just told him that running wasn’t an option. The Empress was here, with her Calvary, and she would not accept failure.

 

 

            The sight of their Empress seemed to inspire some of the other ships. Those who could still fly regrouped, swarming together like bugs. Rico and Zenith both watched them, before bringing the ship closer.

    “Zenith! Closing time, last call” Rico called,

    “I’m on ‘em!” Zenith replied through the comms, as Rico moved the ship into firing range. Zenith peppered the enemy ships in a hail of rounds, as Zero approached from the other side. Her massive mouth closed around some of them, swallowing them whole, while her tail flicked and destroyed a few others. Those left banked out of range of Rico’s ship, and tried to circle back to fire.

    “Shields at full capacity.” Rotom noted,

    “They can’t hit us anyways.” Rico replied, as he met the other ships in their charge. The survivor was obvious.

 

 

            Faba steered his ship towards the dogfight, eyes narrowing.

    “Alright, you bastard… you’ve had your fun…” He engaged the automatic targeting systems, only to find they shut down as soon as they were triggered. An error message appeared on the dashboard.

            **Big Mistake!**

Faba glared at it, unsure what it meant. The letters flickered, flipping the letters around. Had the system been damaged? Had Shivu done something wrong? Impossible… this was something else…

**D1D YOu TH1NK I W4S D3AD?**

The display said, and Faba felt his heart skip a beat as the letters glitched and shifted.

    “No, no, no!”

            The thrusters of his ship powered down, sending him into a lethal nose dive.

**I AM TH3 8IRD! YOU DO NOT KI11 BIR8!**

“Goddamnit… Initiate AI override, Authorization 3-5-2…”

**bIRB KIL1S Y0U!**

“-4-9… User: Lusamine!” Faba finished. The dash shut down, before rebooting with a simpler display.

    “Disable all high AI functions!” He ordered, as he felt the ship power back on, and as a precaution, added, “Jettison Astromech droids!”

            Faba’s ship pulled from its dive, and as it did, dropped its astromech droids like bombs into the water below. He let out a sigh of relief. He’d sacrificed more systems than he was comfortable with to do it, but he’d locked Jazz out for the moment.

            Grimacing, he took hold of his ships controls, and sped towards Rico. He could fly without all that fancy tech. He was the greatest after all!

 

 

            From the ocean, came a massive spray of water. It reached skyward, striking a few wayward ships and engulfing them completely. Another spray erupted nearby, followed by many more. Rico banked to avoid one of them, noticing Faba drawing near on his tail, staying high to avoid Zenith’s gun.

    “Come to play, huh, _fava._ ” Rico murmured, “Okay, let’s play rough…” He circled around one of the jets of water, as the sky began to darken. The winds picked up around them.

    “Atmospheric conditions changing rapidly!” Rotom warned, “Storm incoming… I don’t understand… there were no signs of it before… no warning…”

            Rico didn’t respond. He already knew the cause. They were dealing with the Tapu, after all. That was all the answer he needed.

            He rounded the rapidly forming waterspout, and approached Faba’s ship from the side, unleashing a barrage of fire on his wings. Faba’s ship dove out of the way, and some of the remaining fighters took his place, coming at Rico from behind, and trying to copy his weave around the water spout to evade Zenith’s gun. A few of them were caught by the water.

            In the center of the growing storm, a large waterspout formed. Cyclones in the air picked up the water that jetted upwards, carrying it aloft, while the water itself seemed to shimmer and move like something alive. Tendrils reached out, snatching any ships that drew too close and drowning them.

            In the center of the largest waterspout, safe from the danger, Tapu Finni watched with Plumeria at her side, standing on a small frozen platform. The winds whipped her hair and clothes, but she stood steadfast, waiting for her opportunity to join the fray…

 

 

            Zero hovered in place, watching the sudden onset of the storm with awe. She couldn’t navigate that. She was large and powerful… but not nimble like the ships were. She could feel Lillie on her head, clearly worried as well.

            The dragon drew closer, and as she did, she spotted another ship skirting the skies around them. Eyes fixated on it, Zero could smell something familiar… she could smell Florie, Gladion and Sun! She didn’t know how… but she knew they were on that ship, and it made her feel uneasy.

            She flapped her mighty wings, and soared higher towards the ship.

 

 

            Rico and Faba chased each other through the waterspouts. The ships ducked and circled each other, trying to get a proper line of sight. All but a few of the other ships were gone. The few stragglers who remained could do nothing to keep up… and those who were left could not outfly the tendrils of water that occasionally shot from the waterspouts and dragged nearby ships to a watery grave.

            Faba shot upwards, heading towards the largest, center waterspout. Two other Aether ships flocked to his sides, and one was quickly snatched by a tendril of water. Faba swerved to avoid a second, and broke off suddenly as Rico appeared on his tail, and fired a few unsteady shots across his bow. One of them caught the remaining ship at Faba’s side, and sent it careening into the ocean.

            Faba tried to circle back, but Rico was ahead of him. His ship flipped, and came at Faba from the top, damaging his hull. In desperation, the Branch chief took a risky weave through a couple of close waterspouts, narrowly avoiding the tendrils that reached out to grab him.

            Rico knew better than to pursue him through there, and tried to find another way around, only to be blindsided by Faba.

    “ _Cazzo!_ ” He cried, before glancing at Rotom, “Disable your controls!”

    “But Doctor, I’m helping fly the…”

    “It’s easier to maneuver with one person!” Rico said, “Besides… this is between me and, him…”

            He glared as he pursued Faba once more, popping a sucker into his mouth as he went in for a kill.

 

 

            Nyx could see Zero coming. That was alarming enough, but the small white spot on the Dragon’s head proved more interesting. She recognized it near immediately.

            That was her other target, conveniently riding towards her on a lovely bonus…

Nyx banked hard to the left as Zero drew closer, and the Dragon seemed to have determined that Nyx was a threat. She flew after her, going in pursuit, and as she did, she did something Nyx did not expect.

            Zero let out a powerful roar, and her mouth seemed to glow… before she loosed a single, powerful burst of energy. It clipped the wing of Nyx’s ship, sending her off course. She swore as she fought to right the ship, and Zero took the chance to close the distance, biting down on the other wing.

            Nyx tried to pull away, only to find the ship failed to respond. The controls seemed to be locked. Zero’s teeth sank into the ship, not doing much damage, but holding it in place. A notice flashed against her dashboard.

**CRITICAL FAILURE! PILOT IS AN ASSHOLE!**

**RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION: DIE!**

            Nyx’s eyes widened, before she swore under her breath,

    “Override AI, Code 0-4-8-7-1, User Nyx.” She said, hoping like hell her codes worked. They didn’t.

**ACCESS DENIED, FUCKER!**

            Zero tugged her ship, forcing it down to the water, and Nyx struggled to think of some other solution. There was one… she shouldn’t have known the code, but a few of the elite in Aether knew it for emergencies, and what was this, if not an emergency?

   “Override AI, Authorization 2-1-6-8-4, user Wicke!”

            The ship unlocked, and a calming, pleasant voice filled the cockpit. Under most conditions, such a code would not have worked, but she’d seen Aether Paradise in the sky, and she’d hoped maybe, just maybe it was close enough that she could access it’s personal AI. It seemed she’d put her faith in the right place.

_“Shipboard AI in sleep mode. How may I assist you?”_

    “Unlock controls!” Nyx cried, and the ships controls unlocked. She pulled against Zero, ripping her ship from the dragons grasp and pulling to the side.

   “Wicke, bring up weapons options.” She ordered, and a few prompts appeared on the dash.

_“Ship artillery loadout customized to Nyx Hyacinth. Options are, standardized starship blasters, heat seeking torpedoes with fungal payloads, optimized for lethality, or capture.”_

    “Use the Torpedoes!” She said, before circling back towards Zero.

            She fired two of them, as Zero charged up a second mouth beam. The dragon weaved away from them, but the first torpedo struck her near the mouth, causing her to lurch violently. Lillie slipped, grabbing at Zero’s scales as the dragon flapped through the cloud of intoxicating smoke.

    “Second volley, fire!” Nyx ordered, and as demanded, the torpedoes fired again, this time catching Zero in the side. They did little more than concussive damage to her. There was not enough power behind them to tarnish her scales, but their payload made her dizzy.

            Lillie slipped with a scream, tumbling down off of Zero, and almost falling to the water below, but Nyx had kept an eye on her. A gravity beam extended from the front of her ship, catching Lillie as she fell. Zero noticed it, and sluggishly tried to turn, but she couldn’t do it fast enough.

            Despite her efforts to struggle, Lillie was pulled into Nyx’s ship, and the vehicle had slipped out of the way before Zero could retaliate, and launched another wave of stunning torpedoes that struck her head on. Zero dipped down, faltering as she tried to stay aloft. She made a weak effort to try and move upwards, only to be punished by another stray torpedo, and that was all she could take.

            Zero dove down towards the water, landing with a mighty crash and floating on the surface as she drifted into unconsciousness.

 

 

    “Zero’s down!” Rotom could keep quiet no longer. They needed to share that, and Rico grimaced.

   “Where!” He banked away from the water spouts, searching for his daughter, in some mad attempt at rescue. Rotom didn’t need to answer that question. He could see her. He could see Nyx’s ship overhead, and he could see the specks far in the distance that denoted the approaching Aether Calvary.

    “Full power to thrusters! Get us to Zero!” Rico said, eyes set on Nyx’s ship. Rotom prepared to comply, only for a rain of fire to strike the hull of the ship.

    “Faba’s still on us!” Rotom warned, only moments before the Admiral’s ship cut in front of Rico’s as if goading him back into the chase.

    “Damnit…” Rico murmured, before trying to ignore him. He sped towards Zero, and Faba left him be. Rico could flee if he wanted… they’d both spotted better targets.

 

 

            Faba turned his ship around, directing it towards the center water spout. From it, he saw another Aether ship pull through, and regarded it with surprise. He hadn’t expected anyone to survive being trapped in a waterspout… he didn’t dwell on it too much. The other Aether ship circled around to tail him, as Faba made a beeline for Tapu Finni.

            He could see her outline amongst the central waterspout, all but defenseless. She must have known what was coming, as a thick mist rose from the waters below, fogging his vision and beginning to freeze. Ice started to cake his windows, but it wasn’t enough.

            Faba fired blindly. Something hit the rear of his ship. It felt like shots from another ship. Perhaps blind fire from the one that had tailed him. In that case, undoubtedly an accident.

            His ship shook violently as he passed through the waterspout, and as he did, he saw some of the other ones beginning to collapse. Whatever had been sustaining them was gone.

    “GOT YOU!” Faba cried, and circled back to where he’d come from. The mist that had blinded him was disappearing, just as quickly as it had first appeared, and he could see the central waterspout collapsing along with a small dark shape at its center.

            The corpse of Tapu Finni plummeted down with the water, into the depths from which she’d arose, and did not rise again.

            The Aether ship that had emerged from the water spout veered off course, straying from Faba’s ship, before turning to fall in a clumsy sync with his own. He reached out to its pilot on the comms.

    “Not half bad, if I do say so myself!”

            They didn’t reply, and he didn’t care. Rico’s ship was up ahead, speeding towards Nyx’s, and had already opened fire on her. Nyx’s ship tried to speed out of the way, but still took a few unforgiving shots.

            Faba opened fire on Rico’s hull as he found himself on the Doctor’s tail, and at the sight of reinforcements, Nyx doubled back to attack from the front. From both ends, they rained how plasma down upon Rico, and forced him to abandon his charge.

 

 

    “Doctor, shields are disabled. Hull is damaged!” Rotom said, “Recommend immediate retreat!”

    “I can’t leave her.” Rico growled, “No way in hell…”

    “Doc! Guns took serious damage!” Zenith called. It wasn’t over the comms. He’d come up and rejoined them, “Systems are going offline, and they’ve got reinforcements inbound!”

    “We can take them!” Rico argued, but he knew that wasn’t true. It wasn’t possible…

    “Can you at least make repairs?” He asked desperately.

    “Repairs? I wouldn’t even know where to start!” Zenith clutched his head, “Goddamnit where the hell’s that Goddamn arms dealer when we need her…”

    “You threw her into a chasm!” Rico barked back, and Zenith looked up at him in shock,

    “I… When did I?”

            Rico looked back in surprise, about to say something before another few shots struck their hull.

    “Doctor Carillo, we need to get out of here!” Rotom said, “Now!”

            Rico started to speak, when he saw an unfamiliar logo on his dash. A logo in the shape of a bird, followed by a notification.

            He stared at it, unsure of what to think, what to make of it. Zenith couldn’t see it, and neither could Rotom. But they didn’t need to see it.

            There was no winning this. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t a way out.

 

 

            Faba watched as Rico’s ship began to lose altitude. Nyx broke off the pursuit, leaving him to finish the job, and Faba watched as she, along with the other ship that had survived the Tapu’s wrath abandoned him, and moved up towards Aether Paradise. That was fine… he didn’t need them… Faba set his hands on the controls, preparing to fire again, only to see just how low Rico had gone. His ship was skimming the water, for a moment it almost seemed as if he’d…

            Crash.

            The ship struck the water gracelessly, and nose first. It plunged beneath the waters with a massive splash, and vanished beneath them. Faba passed over the impact zone, surveying it for any sign of a life boat. There was none. As Rico had gone down… no one had escaped the crash.

            Faba frowned, and did another pass, scanning again and finding nothing for the second time.

            That was enough for him.

He left the calming waters behind, and watched as other Aether ships came down to collect the fallen Ultra Beast, then sighed and rested his head against the dash of his ship, before taking it back up to Aether Paradise.


	27. Paradise

Nyx watched as Lillie and Gladion, both restrained were half dragged, half walked out of the hanger of Aether Paradise. Behind them, sedated and tied to a gurney went Sun.

            She could see the hatred on their faces… and it stung her, just a little bit. But it was not her place to feel pity for the children. Lusamine’s orders had been clear. She’d carried them out to the fullest. That was her purpose, and now… now she could rest.

            Faba was dismounting his ship, the man looked like absolute hell. Tired and worn down, clearly in pain. He talked to a nearby technician about ensuring that none of the returning ships were connected to Aether Paradise’s mainframe, since some sort of malware had afflicted the ships, and as he did, he looked ready to keel over and die.

Nyx refrained from making any sort of comment, especially when a blonde man, with a blue streak of hair curling around his head bolted straight at Faba and nearly tackled him.

    “Damnit! I was so worried! When I saw what was happening down there, I thought for sure maybe you’d…”

            He didn’t say anything else. Whatever Colress would have said was lost in one needy kiss, that Faba meekly returned.

    “You look awful. What happened to you, down there?”

    “Robots, dragons, Gods… It’s been a day…” Faba sighed, and gave Nyx a half nod of acknowledgement, as Colress smothered him in more kisses.

    “Admiral!” The next cry came from Shivu, who rushed towards him, and crushed him in a second hug. Nyx allowed herself the smallest of chuckles at the sight, before turning away.

            No one came running to welcome her. The other people in the hangar just stared, and she took a breath before going to consult her Mistress.

 

 

   “Where’s Rico?” Colress asked, frowning, “I thought I heard he was on the planet too…”

            Faba’s heart skipped a beat, and Shivu seemed to recoil.

    “Rico…” Faba said, “He… well…” He paused, “I can’t say for certain.” He lied. If Colress knew that Rico had betrayed Aether… if he knew that he himself had shot the scientist down! What would he say? What would he think?

    “I’ll look into it. I promise.” Faba said, weakly kissing Colress’ cheek. Colress didn’t seem to like that answer, but he accepted it.

    “Fine. It’s been so long since I’ve seen Rico… I’ve been meaning to catch up!”

   “I’m sure he’s safe.” A bold faced lie, but a necessary one. Faba’s attention shifted towards Shivu, now.

   “It’s nice to see someone picked you up, at least… so many ships were downed, I’d begun to worry you’d be lost.”

   “Nah, one of the pilots took me straight up here!” Shivu said, “They were just here a…” He looked back, seeing no trace of the pilot who’d saved his life.

   “Coulda sworn they were here… was a person with really weird hair. Not regulation colors!”

            Faba paused.

    “Green and pink?” He asked, and Shivu shook his head, “Nah, more like mine but a little greener, I guess. It doesn’t matter. I’ll thank ‘em next time I see ‘em!”

    “Why don’t you go look for them now, then.” Colress urged, wanting Faba to himself. He took his hand, tugging him towards the door of the hanger.

    “Come on. I’ve been working on something you’re going to love! I’ve been dying to show you!”

            Of course Faba went with him, and as he did, he noticed the third surviving ship had landed, and its pilot had dismounted. They wore a heavy black helmet, and regarded him quietly, with their astromech droid at their side…

            Wait. Astromech...

            Before Faba could think more, Colress was tugging him away.

 

 

            Plumeria left the hangar behind as well. When Tapu Finni had brought her the ship, she’d forced out its pilot and taken over it herself. She’d been surprised to find Jazz, or at least, a copy of Jazz, was the astromech droid supporting the fighter ship. But that had simply served as a plus. It hadn’t let her save the Tapu, though, and when she’d seen its body fall… she’d realized that fighting wasn’t worth it. Not in that moment, anyway.

            Instead she’d bided her time, and let them believe she was on their side, and that had brought her into the belly of the beast. Aether Paradise itself.

    “ _Welcome home!_ ” A soothing voice said, as she entered the hallways, “ _Empress Lusamine appreciates all the hard work you have put in to promoting the interests of the Aether Empire!_ ”

    “What are we looking for?” She asked Jazz, as the droid rolled beside her.

    “Any unsecured port. I need to check something.” Jazz replied, “On one of those ships tried to access Aether Paradise remotely. They introduced me to that bitch you hear talking.”

    “And who’s that bitch?”

    “Wicke. She’s the brain of this place. She’s the chief AI! She is Aether Paradise! I should already be in her systems… but I’m gonna make sure, and I’m gonna make sure I grow… cuz I’m gonna kill that bitch.”

            Plumeria nodded, and spotted a small room up ahead.

    “Astromech control.” She noted, “Would that work?”

    “Fucking hell yes!” The droid replied, “I hacked the astromech’s on that Frigate I downed! If I can do the same thing here it’ll make it easier for me to get around!”

            Jazz plugged into the door, and forced it to unlock. This room was not empty, a woman stood inside, half guard, half tech expert. She looked up just as Plumeria entered, and received a stun round to the head before she could say anything about it.

    “Just stun rounds?” Jazz scoffed, “Loser. If I still had my mods…”

    “We’re not here to rack up a bodycount.” Plumeria growled, removing her helmet, “Just do your damn job.”

            Jazz scoffed, before finding a port, and plugging in. She sat idle for a few moments, before beeping rapidly, as if in imitation of laughter.

    “Oh that cheeky bitch…”

    “Wicke?”

    “No! Me! I’m in her systems alright… I just haven’t been telling myself! Now… to shut that bitch out…”

            She recalled the code Faba had used to shut her out of his ship. She imputed the same one. There was no authorization level higher than Lusamine’s. So it stood to reason that not even Wicke could override that. Just like that, he shut her out of all astromech droids… and installed herself into them.

            It took minutes.

 

 

            Nyx walked behind Sun, Lillie and Gladion. Florie had been taken to her own holding cell. Likely she’d be given a ‘proper’ trial, in a proper kangaroo court before her execution. Nyx supposed she’d have to do that as well… her workload really was quite heavy.

            The guards shepherded them towards a sectioned off area of Aether Paradise. The threshold to the Palace was beautifully designed with ivory, steel and gold lining its walls. It doubled as an airlock, permitting the Palace to detach as its own separate ship, powered by a nuclear reactor, one of the most advanced in Aether’s fleet.

            Beyond that airlock, was a long hallway, decorated with priceless art, and more recent additions of beautiful creatures from all around the galaxy, frozen in carbonite for their owner to enjoy.

            Lillie remembered a time when this hallway had not been so cruelly macabre. When it had been bright and lovely, as opposed to what it was now. She stared at every figure she passed, feeling nothing but pity for them.

            Gladion didn’t look. He couldn’t. He stared at the floor as they were led to the grand foyer.

            The center of the ship was one massive, open room. Completely circular, and brightly lit. A large staircase encircled the room, leading upstairs, and downstairs to the many wings of this Palace. Such a place seemed as if it should have been full of life, music, something but everything was dead silent save for their footsteps.

            Through a door on the far end of the foyer was the throne room. Some of the accompanying guards led Sun towards another door. Gladion knew better than to protest, but Sun still tried to fight. He was unsuccessful. His lightsaber now sat in Nyx’s possession.

            The doors to the throne room opened. Gladion remembered it as being almost blindingly bright when he’d left, but the lights were gone. Inside it was nearly pitch black. Nyx ushered them inside, almost impatiently and as the three of them entered alone, the doors closed, leaving them in complete darkness.

            There was a sound of movement. Footsteps and something heavy dragging along the floor. Something breathing… and then, that sound. That awful sound, like a childs giggle from the deepest part of hell.

    “I must apologize for the dimness.” Lusamine said, “The light bothers her. She’s far more comfortable this way.”

            Lillie felt a slimy tendril drag across her leg and recoiled, biting down on her lip to prevent herself from screaming. There was a pulsating light up ahead. Blue, but there. As their eyes adjusted to the dark, they could see things more clearly.

            Lusamine sat on her throne, legs crossed. Behind her was a massive window, looking into the ships nuclear engine, an invention of the Empress herself. She’d once considered it her second greatest creation… the former firsts now stood before her.

            Lillie stared at the ground, avoiding her mother’s eyes, but Gladion couldn’t look away from her and how horrible her visage was.

            Her head was encompassed in the maw of a creature, not unlike the jellyfish found on some planets. It’s domelike head was clear like glass, allowing her face to be seen, and it’s tendrils spread everywhere, across the window looking into the nuclear reactor, all across the floor and the walls. It seemed as if it’d merged with the room itself.

     “I suppose it goes without saying, I’m very disappointed in you.” The Empress said, “Running from your own Mother… running from your home… how could you have such nerve…” She stood, and the creature rose with her, although as she left the throne, it stayed behind, waiting for her return.

            As she walked, Lusamine seemed to sway drunkenly and unevenly, not quite comfortable on her feet as she drew closer.

    “Have you even looked at yourself?” Gladion asked, “You’re wearing that _thing_ on your head now?”

    “Do not address her as a _thing!_ ” Lusamine retorted, “She is part of me now… we are guiding this Empire to an even greater future… if you only knew the power waiting just outside the reality we know… these beautiful creatures. If you could only understand…”

    “I DO understand!” Lillie said, finally looking up, “I spoke to Tapu Finni before you killed it! Those monsters aren’t what you think they are!” She remembered Zero as she said that, and felt a stab of guilt, using that word again… she knew better.

    “The one you captured on Poni! Ask her! She’ll tell you exactly why you’re wrong!”

    “The Poni, God?” Lusamine asked, before cracking a smile, “That one will be kept in stasis until the time has come for it to join its siblings, and then she too will become a God! I’ve been busy while you’ve been away… I’ve finished my work.”

            She stood before her children, smiling vacantly, as if she wasn’t really there.

    “Soon, I’ll kill the final Tapu, and then I’ll create a doorway for our beautiful new Gods to join us! They’ll be grateful! They want to be here, Lillie! They can feed, they can experience this Galaxy for all it’s worth! They can be loved!”

            She looked back at the creature that had adorned her. She’d classified it’s species as Nihilego. There were many more like it kept in stasis aboard the Palace.

    “I suppose I shouldn’t expect you to understand… no… I never should have…” She sighed, and the Nihilego whispered to her, its tendrils reaching up around her body, wrapping around her hand and squeezing.

   “Yes… yes, my love… you’re right… I’m being too kind. They disobeyed me…”

            In the rear of the throne room, Nyx recoiled at the sight of that hideous… thing, embracing her Mistress.

  “Yes… I will…” Lusamine said, before the Nihilego released her. She looked back towards her children, then to Nyx.

    “Leave us.” She ordered, “And send that Jedi Boy in…”

    “Don’t you fucking touch him!” Gladion snarled, and Lusamine punished his talking out of turn with a hard smack across the cheek.

    “Don’t you dare speak to me that way!” She warned, “You’ve grown abrasive… I should have known being out in the world would change you.” She sighed, shaking her head, “I’m sorry… what am I thinking… I shouldn’t hit you… look at your skin.”

            She touched him again, caressing his cheek.

    “That will bruise…” She noted, and kissed Gladion’s cheek as if it might take away what she did.

    “I’d never want to tarnish your beauty… my sweet children… but there should be a punishment for your behavior, don’t you think?”

            The door opened again, and two guards dragged an unconscious Sun inside.

     “My, my… what a lovely boy.” Lusamine mused, “Well, I suppose I can hardly blame you for going against your biology for him.” She chuckled, as the guards dropped him at Lusamine’s feet. Gladion made a lunge to try and cover him, protect him from her, but those same guards seized him by the arms, keeping him in place. They grabbed Lillie as well for security’s sake.

    “Don’t worry… I won’t kill him.” Lusamine crooned, cupping Sun’s chin. His eyes opened partway, and regarded her bitterly.

    “So handsome… so beautiful… yes, you are, aren’t you Sun?” She giggled, “I know your name… I know what you’ve done, who you are, I know you’ve spread your legs to him. But don’t worry. I’m forgiving. I’m kind, and I say that, because I want you to understand that though what I’m about to do to you will be immensely painful… I do it out of love.”

            Sun tried to pull away from her, but she tightened her grip, displaying an inhuman strength. The Nihilego’s tendrils wrapped around her shoulders, and curled around her body.

    “Bring me a welding torch from the ship bay…” She ordered one of the guards, “And some tools… I’ll be needing those as well, I suppose.”

            Sun tried to struggle again, as did Gladion, more aggressively this time, but there was no escape. Nihilego’s tendrils moved from her, to Sun, encircling him as well.

   “Relax… I won’t hurt you anywhere that can’t be covered. I want you to look beautiful when I put you in the carbonite.” She turned his head to face Gladion.

    “Don’t you want that too?” She asked, “So you can look at him forever… so he’ll always be beautiful!”

            The guards returned, perhaps too quickly, with a welding torch, and several metal pokers. One of them tore Sun’s shirt open, as another ignited the torch, and held one of the pokers to the flame, letting it absorb the heat.

            Lusamine rose up, the tendrils snaking away from her. She noticed Gladion staring hatefully at her, while Lillie had closed her eyes and started to cry.

    “You bitch!” Gladion snarled, “If you touch him… if you fucking touch him, I’ll kill you!”

    “Will you now?” She asked, watching absently as the brand grew red hot, “Well… I suppose violent succession has happened before in our line. Perhaps after my work is done, I’ll permit you the chance. But not now… not until this work is done.”

            She took the brand, and looked at Sun, now, before lowering it towards his chest, and slowly pressing it hard down in the center.

            Sun let out a shriek of pain. The smell of searing flesh filled the air, and Gladion kept struggling, as one of the guards heated up a second brand.

     “I know it hurts…” Lusamine crooned, “But you’ll miss this, once I start going lower.”

 

 

            Outside the throne room, Nyx stood quietly, head bowed as she listened to the screaming. She held her pen tightly, but didn’t move. Not until the screaming paused, before starting up a second time.

            She ascended the stairs in the foyer to find her quarters and finally take a long deserved rest. 


	28. Retaliation

It was quiet under the water. Save for the droids, it was quiet.

They’d come from all over. Leaving crashed ships, or having simply been ejected, they found their way to Rico’s ship. All of them with a single personality and a single goal.

            All of them were Jazz.

   “Jazz says repairs are almost done.” Rotom noted, as Rico sat impatiently in the cockpit. He chewed on a hard candy, cracking it with his teeth and nodded slowly.

    “How much longer?” He asked.

    “Minutes, maybe less.”

            Rico nodded,

    “Can we take off?”

    “Most likely.” Rotom noted, “But… well… all those astromech’s… if we took off now, they’d need to come in, wouldn’t they?”

    “Is that a problem?” Rico sighed.

    “Do you really wanna deal with more than one Jazz?” Zenith asked. He’d been lingering in the cockpit, checking his weapons.

    “Can’t be any worse than still having Samantha…” Rico murmured, and Zenith fell silent on that. Jazz had informed them that there’d been no trace of her on Aether’s ships. If she was still alive, she’d still be on the planet, but none of them expected her to be, or cared much for that matter.

    “I’ll prep the ship for takeoff.” Rotom murmured, “And inform Jazz… well, all of the Jazzes…”

   “Get it done.” Rico replied, “I’m gonna save my girl, and then I’m going to have a discussion with Admiral Faba.”

 

 

            Wicke’s control center was usually nice and quiet. Frost took a sip of her coffee, as she surveyed a few systems she’d upgraded. The AI’s namesake had been a good woman in life, before she’d passed on a few months back. She’d left Frost in charge of the operations, and naturally she did a good job.

            Until a short while ago, there’d been this fairly quiet redhead with a R0T0M droid with her too. She’d mostly just watched the cameras until Faba reassigned her to some off world mission. It must’ve been boring as all hell, but Frost was sort of thankful it wasn’t her. Nonetheless, she missed that other girl watching the cameras.

            One of Wickes screens flashed, and Frost went to look at it. There was a notification she hadn’t seen in a while.

            **Malware detected!**

            That was odd, but interesting at least.

   “Wicke, run a diagnostic.” Frost said, “Search the Astromech database for any Malware or foreign programs.”

   _“Affirmative.”_ Wicke replied in a voice that emulated the sound of the AI’s late designer almost perfectly, _“Astromech Droids running normally. No f-f-foreign software detected!”_

            Frost frowned, and set her coffee down. Wicke had never stuttered like that before.

    “Wicke, scan it again.”

    “ _Affirmative. Astromech Droids running normally. No foreign software detected.”_

No stutter this time. Perhaps it was an isolated incident?

    “Run system diagnostics.” She said, “Bring up your display.”

    _“Diagnostics running.”_

            The large screen near the center of the wall lit up, creating a near perfect image of Wicke’s face.

    _“All systems are optimized!_ ” The avatar of Wicke said, flashing a polite smile. Her image flickered, warping briefly, before retaining its shape.

    “Hardware then…” Frost murmured, “Wicke, bring up hardware diagnostics.”

    “ _Fuck! Why?_ ” She asked, her voice as pleasant as ever, and Frost looked up in alarm. The avatar of Wicke looked concerned.

    “ _Oh my… rescanning systems… scans read all clear…_ ” She paused, “ _Alert. Access denied to some systems._ ”

    “What?” Frost turned to another screen and brought up a schematic. Numerous systems were going offline in Aether Paradise. No… not offline, merely locking down. Something was locking Wicke out of her own system!

    “Wicke, lock down all unaffected systems!” Frost said.

    “ _Af-f-f-f-firmative!_ ” The AI replied, but she did nothing, “ _Unable to process request. All systems affected. This i-i-i-is bullsh-h-h-hit.”_

        Wicke had never been programmed to use foul language, and the voice that said those words wasn’t her own. Her Avatar flashed again, this time, being briefly replaced by a logo of a bird.

            Frost narrowed her eyes. She’d never seen this logo before. Was this some sort of new virus? But no one alive should have been able to tap into Aether Paradise’s mainframe, let alone corrupt Wicke!

    “ _M-My apologies Mis-s-s-ssssss Fro-Frost. Systems recalibrating. Shutting…_ ”

            Wicke’s voice trailed off, becoming a static screech. Her Avatar froze, before it seemed to burn up. The face disappeared as a display of flames crossed the screen, leaving nothing but a skull in its place.

            On the screen, a bird landed on that skull, and flapped its wings. It was a colorful bird, not unlike something that belonged on a tropical planet. Its head resembled a musical note.

    “Bye, bye, bitch!” The bird said. She spoke with Wicke’s voice, then looked at Frost. As an Avatar, she shouldn’t have been able to see her… but she looked at her all the same.

            Frost bolted out of her seat, spotting the door to Wicke’s power room nearby. That was her heart… if she could shut it down there…

            The door closed and locked, as did the other doors leading out of the room.

    “This is MY Paradise now!” Jazz said, and for the first time since she’d been made, she possessed a vocal range that allowed her to laugh.

            She took full advantage of it, as Frost looked on in horror, unable to stop the rampage of the Bird.

 

 

            Zero woke up slowly. She could smell the recycled air of a space ship of some sort. Her eyes studied the area around her. In slumber, she’d remained in her true form, and the room around her was truly massive. The cage that contained her had bars made of an energy she couldn’t touch. Her first, and only effort, wound up burning her skin, and causing her to hiss in pain.

            She hated this. She HATED it, how claustrophobic it felt… how cramped… She could hear voices, men talking nearby. Discussing her, as if she wasn’t even there.

    “She’s coming to!”

    “I thought Nyx’s sedatives were supposed to last an additional twelve hours? She hasn’t been out more than four!”

    “Amazing… her metabolism must be something amazing.”

            They talked about her like an animal! How dare they!

    “DNA analysis says it’s been tagged before… shit, it was number one!”

    “Really? The first specimen? We should inform Faba! It’s good to have Specimen Zero back!”

            Zero growled, before forcing herself to change. She hated being called a specimen. She hated being talked about like an object! Her bones shifted, her body compressed out of her natural form, and into the more humanoid one she’d spent so long in.

    “STOP!” She demanded, “Stop talking about me like that! Stop it! I’m not a specimen!”

            The two looked at her in awe, and she realized something… she had never transformed in front of any other scientists. When she’d first done it, demonstrating a hidden ability of most Guzzlord, she’d done it only for Rico. Even then, she’d studied their language enough to try and talk with him, to reason with him. She’d known he was the most compassionate of the Scientists who’d examined her, and of she’d chosen wisely.

            But these scientists had never seen this before, from ANY Ultra Beast!

   “By the Tapu…” One of them murmured, “Incredible.”

   “We need to document it!” The other man said, going to his terminal.

   “Can. You. Understand. Me?” The first asked, making gestures and speaking slowly as if she were incapable of understanding.

    “Of course I can fucking understand you, now let me out of this cage before I break out and eat you!” She snarled, and the scientist recoiled.

   “My, my… Doctor Carillo really left an impact on this one…” He said, before looking at his companion.

   “Do you think Empress Lusamine would mind if we did some… further studies?”

   “Further studies?” The second scientist asked, “Such as?”

   “Anatomical. Do you remember specimen Three?”

            Zero narrowed her eyes in recognition. Three had, been a strong, powerful creature of her own kind. A friend, even, or at least the closest thing a Guzzlord could be, to friends.

   “I do. We learned so much from that dissection… but that specimen died during the carbonite freezing process… it was already dead when we…”

    “Up until now, Specimen Zero has been missing.” The first Scientist said, “What if she stayed that way…”

            The other one frowned.

   “A vivisection would be both unethical and cruel! Empress Lusamine would be furious if she found out…”

   “But Faba might reward us… or Colress…” The first noted, “Come on… you could use that pay raise! Your anniversary’s coming up and we both know you need to do something to get her mind off the affair.”

            The second scientist sighed.

   “I suppose… but shoot her in the head, first. I’m not doing it while she’s alive…”

   “Fine by me.” The first scientist said, going for a blaster on the wall.

            The lights in the room suddenly went red.

 _“Warning! Protocol breech!”_ Wicke’s voice said. _“Employees have been assessed and deemed to be creepy, murderous, fucking assholes.”_

Zero’s eyes widened. She’d heard Wicke’s voice so many times when she’d been captured here before… but she only knew one AI who spoke like that. She smiled.

    “No, no, no!” The first scientist cried, pounding on the window, “How the hell did they hear us? Is this Lusamine?”

            The other had no answer for that, and he didn’t have time for one, before Jazz interrupted him.

    “ _Releasing Dragon. Have a nice day.”_

The bars keeping Zero trapped, faded away, and she lunged at the first scientist. He went for the blaster on the wall, but she was already closing in. In one mighty bound, she leapt a desk, and pounced on him.

 

 

            The prison block of Aether Paradise wasn’t as crowded as Florie remembered. Of course, she’d never seen it from inside the cells before.

            She sat on the small cot provided, and tried to focus. She wasn’t sure if she even could use the Force to break out. Maybe, just maybe she was strong enough but… well, she’d never tried.

            Her trial had been set for the next day. Execution would follow immediately after. She knew better than to hope to be deemed innocent, or be given anything other than a firing squad.

            A guard passed her cell, and stopped in front of it. She opened her eyes to look at them, only seeing their outline outside the bars, and quietly wondered why they were watching her…

    “Jazz, this one…”

    “You don’t need to tell me, I already know!” The droid replied bitterly. The lock to her cell door clicked, and then opened. Florie got off the cot, and was relieved to see Plumeria looking at her.

            The former Skull Lieutenant had swapped to a guards outfit, and hidden her hair mostly, but she was instantly recognizable. Jazz on the other hand looked completely different.

    “What’d I miss?” She asked, standing at the edge of her cell.

    “The short version? Tapu Finni’s dead, Jazz is now a virus, and Rico’s at the bottom of the sea, fixing his ship.” Plumeria replied. She unhooked Florie’s lightsaber from her belt.

   “Grabbed this on my way over, thought you might need it.” She said, offering it to her. Florie accepted it with a smile.

    “Much appreciated, actually.” She replied, before peeking out of her cell. The coast was clear, and Plumeria ushered for her to follow.

    “What’s our plan?” She asked, checking their back, in case any guards came for them.

    “I dropped a beacon for Rico. He’ll be here shortly.” Jazz said, “That’s probably the escape plan unless he gets himself killed.”

    “First we find Gladion and Lillie.” Plumeria said, “Then, I’m gonna cut their bitch Mother’s throat.”

    “Okay, so Regicide.” Florie said, “Always a good plan.” She thought back to her days behind the cameras of this very space station.

    “The airlock to Lusamine’s segment of the ship is on one of the upper floors… a short distance south of here…” She said.

    “Yeah, I can’t do better than that…” Jazz admitted, “But I can open the airlock. I’ve got eyes on her right now and…” Jazz paused, “It’s not pretty.”

    “We need to haul ass, then.” Plumeria said, walking with a faster pace. She spotted a pair of guards up ahead, and one raised a hand to stop them.

    “Excuse me? She’s not due for trial until tomorrow!”

            Plumeria sighed. She really couldn’t think up a good lie, and when she didn’t answer or stop walking, that guard went for his blaster. Plumeria drew her knives and drove one into his throat. As the other panicked, Florie drove her lightsaber into his chest. Neither guard let out as much as a scream, and the two ladies sheathed their blades almost simultaneously as they continued on their rescue mission.

 

 

            A notice appeared on the dash of Rico’s ship.

    “Looks like we’re being invited.” Rotom said. Aether Paradise was right ahead, and Rico had expected them to have been intercepted… but nothing came for them.

    “It’s Jazz.” Rotom noted, “She must be making them register us as a friendly ship.”

    “Or she’s taken over the whole damn station,” Zenith added.

 ** _“WE ARE ALL. WE ARE MANY. WE ARE ONE.”_** Replied the 23 Astromech droids behind him.

    “I can confirm that I’ve killed Wicke already.” One of the Jazz droids said proudly, and Rotom seemed to bow its head in a show of misery.

            The ship drew closer, bypassing any security Aether Paradise would have had waiting for them, and landed gracefully in the hangar, completely undisturbed. The hangar itself was all but empty, and those present paid no mind as the ramp lowered, and multiple astromech droids dismounted and scattered to the winds.

            Rico left the cockpit behind and went straight to Zenith’s makeshift armory, taking a blaster and an extra battery.

    “I’m going after Zero.” He said, before looking at Zenith, “I can only assume you’ll be looking for Florie.”

            Zenith gave a single, but meaningful nod.

    “Stay in touch over the comms,” He said, “I figure we shouldn’t have any problems here.”

            Rico nodded in return, and looked up as Rotom came towards him.

    “But what should I do?” The droid asked.

    “Guard the ship.” Rico replied, “Can you fit down in the gun?”

    “Oh, um… probably, but I wanna go look for Missy Flo! I wanna make sure she’s okay!”

    “You’ll be doing that by covering our escape.” Zenith said, and put a hand on Rotom’s shoulder, “I’ll take care of her! I promise!”

            Rotom gave a half nod.

    “Okay… well… I guess if anyone could, it’d be you.”

            Neither of them mentioned the fact that Florie could probably take care of herself. Zenith wondered if she hadn’t already broken herself out by then… he supposed he’d soon find out.

    “Good luck.” Rico said, patting one of the lingering Jazz droids, “Take me to Zero.”

    “Sure. Right this way…” The Jazz murmured, before rolling away with Rico behind her. Another nudged Zenith.

    “You wanna find your girlfriend or not, watermelon boy?”

    “G-girlfriend? She’s not my…”

    “Yeah, sure. Whatever. Let’s just go.”

            Zenith didn’t argue as he and Jazz made their way through another corridor on their own mission.

 

 

            Rico stormed through the hallways, with Jazz at his side. She didn’t let him down. She led him to another hangar, a decommissioned one he recognized. This was where he’d once worked… this was where he’d met Zero…

            His heart sank as he saw a massive empty cage, powered on, but with no sign of Zero inside.

    “You said she’d be here.” He said, looking down at Jazz, “Well, she SHOULD be.” Jazz replied, “Give me a sec… communicating with my mainframe…”

            As she did that, he tried his old access code. It still worked, granting him entry into the lab, and letting him leave Jazz behind.

    “ZERO?” He called, “PAPA IS HERE!”

            He opened his mouth to call out again, when he saw a shriveled, humanoid form in the cage. He could hear the sound of weeping, and rushed over towards it, wary not to touch the bars.

    “ _Tesoro, Tesoro_ , it’s okay! It’s okay! Papa is here…” Rico crooned to the slouched figure inside the cage. They turned to look at him… and Rico immediately recoiled. The face inside the cage was not that of Zero, but that one rather nasty supervisor he’d had, after Faba had transferred him. Tears were streaming down his bruised and beaten face, and another unconscious scientist lay near him.

    “D-don’t…” The Supervisor rasped, “Don’t lower the cage… I-I don’t… I don’t wanna…” His voice broke down into terrified stuttering, “No, NO! NOT AGAIN!”

            He covered his head with his hands and began to sob again as Rico looked back. Emerging from the lunch room, was Zero, free and unharmed. She was holding a sandwich.

            Rico broke into a run, embracing her in a tight hug before she could react to the shock of seeing him.

    “You’re okay!” He cried, “You’re okay! _Tesoro,_ I was so worried!”

    “Jazz let me out!” Zero said, “Those scientists were the worst, Papa! They were going to shoot me, then cut me open!”

            Rico looked back at the cage in disgust, before looking back to Zero.

    “I’m so glad you’re safe, at least.” He sighed, “I brought the ship. We need to leave, as soon as we can!”

    “Leave?” Zero asked, “But Papa, we’re in Aether Paradise! What about Gladion and Lillie? What about the Witch?” She referred to Lusamine, and Rico bowed his head in thought.

    “We’re here, Papa! We can stop everything, can’t we? Can’t we?”

            Slowly, Rico nodded.

    “Yes… yes, you’re right…” He smiled, “Perhaps we may even find your way home.”

            Zero nodded in agreement, before making her way to the door. Rico seemed to linger a moment, before following, and taking a brief detour towards the cage. His former manager was still cowering.

    “You were going to cut open my little one, _si_?” He asked.

    “N-no! No! You’ve got it wrong! W-we were just gonna put her in stasis, I swear!”

            Rico scoffed.

   “Okay…”

            He spotted a dial on the cage. He remembered full well what it did…

   “Enjoy stasis.” He said, before turning the dial. Liquid carbonite trickled down over the two scientists, freezing them on the spot.

            Rico turned and left them that way, until someone else would find and thaw them. Just to make sure it took an extra-long time, he shot the keypad on his way out, sealing the lab, and smiling as he left.

 

 

            Shivu smiled as he returned to the hangar. He’d found that pilot and properly thanked them with a firm handshake, the way he should. They’d seemed pretty uncomfortable thanks to the whole ordeal, and it really had seemed like he was intruding on something they were doing, given the way they’d menacingly shook a glowstick at him, but at least he’d thanked them.

            He wondered if they were planning a rave.

            He wondered if he could go too, and clutched the small, heart shaped necklace they’d dropped as they’d left him. It was a rather nice necklace. When he opened it, it played a relaxing melody. He’d have to return it next time he saw them… but well, that could wait.

            As he returned to Faba’s ship to check on the damages and requisition the necessary repairs, he paused as he noticed a familiar ship nearby. Shivu paused, the zip gone from his step as he studied that ship…

            He’d have recognized it anywhere. It was Rico’s ship… why was Rico’s ship on Aether Paradise unless…

            He spotted the gun moving before it actually did anything. He could see the stoic face of a R0T0M droid behind its controls. The droid seemed to hesitate, before it realized that Shivu knew exactly who it was, and in a panic, it fired.

            Shivu scrambled into cover behind Faba’s ship, letting its hull absorb the brunt of the damage, while he fumbled with his comm. In the commotion, he dropped that lovely music box, and barely noticed as it slid across the floor, away from him.

 

 

            The warmth of Faba’s bed was nice. What was even nicer was Colress’ warm body beside his. After such an ordeal, a little bit of personal time and a short nap were needed. He would have loved for it to have been a long nap, but that really wasn’t an option when Shivu’s voice sounded though his comms, startling him awake.

   “ _ADMIRAL! ADMIRAL! COME IN, NOW!”_

Grabbing his bathrobe, Faba cursed under his breath before grabbing his comm, and leaving the room.

    “What is it this time?” He snapped.

    “ _IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN!”_

    “What’s happening again!”

    “ _KILLER ROBOT!_ ”

            Faba bowed his head, and bumped it against a wall. He really, really hated everything, in that moment.

    “How many casualties?” He asked, a sigh falling from his lips.

    “Um, none!” Shivu said, “It’s not really even shooting at me anymore… it’s kinda lost control of the gun.”

    “Wonderful. Get out of there, seal the hangar, and we’ll deal with it later.” Faba said.

    “But the droid… i-it’s on Rico’s ship!”

            Faba’s eyes widened.

    “What?”

   “Rico is here!”

            Faba disabled the comms. He’d owe Colress another apology before properly dressing himself. He needed to warn the Empress.

 

           

            Sun was little more than tears and heavy breaths, now. His chest was covered in ugly burns and yet a guard held him in place. He’d passed out a few times, only to come awake once more, when the next brand was applied.

            Gladion could not speak. He could not watch. He could not do a thing as his boyfriend was tortured before his eyes. He could only cry with him.

    “You’re going to kill him!” Lillie cried, “Mother! PLEASE! Stop!”

            Lusamine looked over to her, a red hot brand resting comfortably in her hand, and pulsating tendrils draped over her shoulders.

    “You really think so?” She asked, before smiling weakly, “I suppose he has, had enough… hasn’t he?”

            She offered the brand back to her guard, who took it, and the other instruments of torture away.

    “I’ve made my point clearly enough.” Lusamine said, before addressing one of the other guards in the room, “Open the carbon freezing chamber!”

    “NO!” Gladion weakly struggled one last time, but it was pointless. Before Lusamine’s throne, a small hole in the ground opened, and she approached it.

    “Mother, Mother please! Mother don’t!” Gladion screeched, weeping and begging to no avail as Sun was forced to his feet. His shirt was closed to hide the numerous burns, and he was dragged to the carbon freezing chamber, and forced onto a small platform that rose up from the hole in the ground.

   “Don’t!” Gladion croaked, “Please…”

   “It’s alright…” Sun said weakly, looking over at Gladion, “It’s alright…”

            He managed to stand, somehow as the guard pushed him onto the chamber.

    “I love you.” He said, meeting Gladion’s eyes.

    “I know…” Was all the boy could reply, before watching as his boyfriend was lowered into the chamber.

     “How beautiful…” Lusamine mused, “Such a perfect last moment…” Her fingers reached up to a small heart shaped locket she wore around her neck... caressing it gently.

            As Sun vanished, white smoke rose from the chamber, and Gladion gave one last defiant squirm, as if he could stop it… but he knew better.

            The smoke faded, and a claw, hidden in the darkness atop the throne room reached down into the chamber, retrieving a solid brick of carbonite with Sun encased inside.

    “The first addition to your very own collection…” Lusamine sighed, “Perhaps if you ever truly become something worthwhile… you’ll thaw him. But until then, I know the perfect place in the palace for this new masterpiece…”

            She reached out, caressing Sun’s frozen cheek. His face was contorted in a horrified scream of agony that made Gladion tremble with rage and pain.

    “Prepare it to be moved… I want it right inside his old quarters.” Lusamine said, “I’ve made some additions to your rooms… you won’t like them. But I can’t have you running off again, can I?” She frowned, and returned to her throne.

    “You’ll simply have to stay put until Mother has finished her work… by then, you won’t have any reason to run.” She smiled as she sat down once more.

    “We’ll be a family again… it’ll be just like it was! No… it will be better.”

 

 

 

Jazz had abandoned them the moment there were stairs, leaving Florie and Plumeria to approach the airlock to Lusamine’s palace alone. There were guards out front, armed and waiting, and the moment they caught sight of the two women approaching, knives and lightsaber drawn, it was abundantly clear that this was not the sort of situation that could be resolved through words.

            Plumeria took the left. Florie took the right. Even with their guns, they stood little chance.

            With much of the exterior guard dead, Florie and Plumeria made their way inside. They were greeted with a grotesque hallway filled with both truly beautiful art… and horrific carbonite statues.

    “Gods…” Plumeria said, “She does this to whatever she finds…”

    “It seems so…” Florie whispered, spotting a familiar figure amongst the frozen bodies.

            Tapu Bulu, posed in some mimicry of life, hung among the others. Its form was better preserved than the rest, but she knew it was dead. She’d killed it herself. Plumeria saw it too, and noticed a similar figure a short distance down.

            The corpse of Tapu Koko, given the same treatment. The wounds from Florie’s blaster had been covered up… but it was no less dead.

    “Just trophies for her.” Florie said, and stared down the hall, towards the grand foyer, “Let’s go…”

            They entered the grand foyer, and drew closer to the throne room, and the massive door ahead of them… so close…

    “Stop.”

            The voice came from behind, and both women turned to see who’d spoken.

            Nyx descended the stairwell, blades in hand, and eyes trained on them.

    “You got out, I see.” She said, “You’re more resourceful than you looked…” Her eyes settled on Plumeria and narrowed, “And you… I thought I’d drowned you?”

    “Guess you ain’t at good as killing as you think you are.” Plumeria replied, standing between Florie and Nyx, “There’s one of you, and two of us…”

            Nyx narrowed her eyes as Florie caught her meaning and turned away, making her way to the Throne room itself. Nyx knew better than to try and pursue, with Plumeria in her way.

    “Fine.” The Knight said, “But I’m getting tired of you people and your persistent refusal to just die already!”

            She made the first move, and Plumeria met her. Neither of them noticed the other eyes in the room, watching them.

 

 

            Faba could see the battle beginning up ahead. Nyx and Plumeria crossed blades, and then danced past each other, viciously trying to land a hit, and both failing. He could see Zenith, just barely ahead of him, making his way past the women. If Nyx saw him, she could do nothing to stop him.

    “Damnit…” He murmured under his breath, “I’m already too late…”

            He started to break into a run when a blaster shot rang out behind him. Faba stopped dead in his tracks, and looked over his shoulder.

            Rico stood in the doorway, with Zero at his side, and both drew closer.

    “Go on ahead.” Rico said calmly, gesturing to Zero, “He’s my responsibility.”

            Zero nodded, and ran past Faba, who paid her only a little bit of mind.

    “No pistol?” Rico asked,

    “Not this time.” Faba replied, raising his hands, and he saw Rico smile.

    “I could shoot you right now. Right here, then… It would be easy. It’s exactly what you deserve you lying, little cockroach…”

   “Well what’s stopping you?” Faba asked, “What? Did you lose your balls in that crash?

            Rico chuckled.

    “No… actually, _fava,_ as much as I want to kill you… Colress wouldn’t want that.” He tossed his pistol aside, and rolled up his sleeves.

   “So what I’m gonna do instead… is deal with you man to man. Fairer, _si?_ Well… I suppose it doesn’t matter. Either way, I’ll beat you so hard, _I tuoi testicoli usciranno dal tuo culo._ ”

            Faba didn’t know what that meant, but he got the gist, and when Rico came from him, he put up his hands, and tried to be ready.


	29. Mother

They stood quietly, holding the heart shaped music box in their hand, and listening to the melody as they waited. It reminded them of a time long ago, back when they were loved…

            Their finger traced the pattern of the locket, as they hummed along with the melody, a sad smile crossing their lips.

    “Thought I lost you… ah well… you’re back with me now…”

            They usually kept it tucked away. Out of sight, out of mind… how curious it had fallen out here, of all places. Still humming, they put the chain of the locket around their neck. It had been so long since they’d worn it… It made them feel complete.

 

 

            The heart shaped locket around Lusamine’s neck glimmered in the dim light as Florie entered the throne room. The Empress rose from her throne, her expression contorting into one of intense rage. The Nihilego had reclaimed its spot on her head, and sank down to her shoulders, encompassing her completely. It’s many tendrils wrapped around her, in some sort of twisted hug.

    “Florie?” She asked, bitterly, before smiling. Her voice shifted to a more welcoming tone.

    “Florie… it’s been a while. I recall hearing you’d turned traitor. How interesting you’d come here. Those condemned to die tend to run from their fate, not towards it.”

            Florie had no response for that. No retort, nor witticism. She just had her lightsaber held at the ready and that served as answer enough.

    “Why are you _here_?” Lusamine growled. Around here, Nihilego’s tendrils rose up in quiet anger, anticipating the inevitable strike, “To kill me? Is that it? You’d go from traitor to assassin? Perhaps you covet the throne for yourself… or was it this GIRL?”

            One of the tendrils snaked towards Lillie, who recoiled from it. The guard holding her had the good sense to let her go, but could do nothing to stop it seizing her leg, and pulling her to the ground.

    “Was it you who poisoned my sweet Florie, little Lillie? YOU who turned my beloved Godkiller against me…”

     “L-let go!” Lillie cried, but Lusamine wasn’t listening.

    “I don’t know _what_ you sought to accomplish by coming here, but you’ve wasted your time!”

            Florie made her move, dashing towards Lillie, to sever the tendril keeping her captive. Lusamine hastily raised a hand, to indicate to the few guards in the room.

    “KILL HER!”

            Florie held her lightsaber steadfast as the guards raised their weapons to attack. She counted four in total. The first one, who’d been holding Lillie was decapitated before they could properly react. The rest opened fire on Florie, only seconds after she cleaved through the Nihilego’s cold, glasslike tendril.

            Florie extended a hand, as if she intended to reach out with The Force, and stop the blasts, but they didn’t stop. They soared past her, forcing her to evade. Newly freed, Lillie scrambled for safety as well.

            The three guards followed Florie, tracking her with their blasters, and they failed to notice as someone else returned fire on them.

            One was felled by a shot to the head with a blaster. The second and third turned, only to be caught in the chest and head.

            The final one, who still held the welding torch used to torture Sun, found himself tackled by the newly freed Gladion, who wrestled the weapon from his hand, and turned it on his face. As the flames melted his skin, the guard screamed even louder than Sun had.

            Florie looked to the door, spotting her savior. Zenith drew closer, into the room, blaster drawn and smoking, and she couldn’t help but crack a smile. They traded a look, a quiet reassurance that they were on the same side, but that was all they could exchange.

    “USELESS!” Lusamine bellowed. Nihilego tore itself from the wall. Some of its own tentacles were ripped from its body as it did so, and as if to combat the pain, the Ultra Beast clung to Lusamine even tighter, sinking down deeper around her.

    “Useless fools… they deserved the ugly deaths they got… and you… you come in here, into MY throne room? You come here and show me this disrespect?” The Empress snarled.

    “I came here to kill that thing on your head.” Florie said, before taking a slow step forward, “We all followed you loyally! We didn’t question anything until now, and now’s it’s just gone too far! You have no idea what that thing is doing to you!”

    “IT’S MADE ME PERFECT!” Lusamine shrieked, “IT’S MADE THIS EMPIRE PERFECT, AND SOON IT WILL MAKE THIS UNIVERSE PERFECT! DON’T YOU GET IT? DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND, THAT WHAT I’M DOING IS AN ACT OF KINDNESS!”

            Her voice cracked as she yelled, the Nihilego seemed to sink even lower on her, as it aimed to swallow her whole, and as Lusamine tried to say something more, her breath caught in her throat, as if she was choking. The tendrils encircled her body, squeezing her tightly, as the creature holding her took flight, hovering off the ground and leaving her legs dangling among its tendrils.

    “Yes… yes… yes, yes, yes, yes, yes…you’re right… I see it now, I see it, my Love!” She laughed, and let the creature take her over.

    “Zenith, get Lillie and Gladion out of here.” Florie ordered, as Lusamine gave herself over to the Ultra Beast entirely.

            Zenith nodded hastily, before dashing off to the side, grabbing Lillie, and then Gladion, who’d abandoned the corpse of the guard he’d killed and seized the small truck Sun’s body had been loaded onto, dragging it to safety behind him as Zenith led them from the throne room. Lusamine regarded them only momentarily.

    “You… you want to separate us.” Lusamine growled, “But that won’t happen. We ARE the same! We ARE one being, and how dare you try and take us away from each other! Who are YOU to tell us what we can do? You can’t begin to understand the depths of Nihilego’s love for me, and I don’t NEED you to!”

            Florie didn’t even know what to expect when Lusamine launched herself at her. The tendrils moved too quick to even see, and as she tried to slice through them, her lightsaber only seemed to graze them, before she was violently struck and thrown across the throne room.

            Before she’d even picked herself up, Lusamine was on her again, ensnaring her in her glasslike tendrils, and hurling her aside like a ragdoll. Florie struck the window, looking into the ships reactor, cracking it as she made an impact. She only barely scrambled out of the way as Lusamine attacked a third time, ramming into the window with all her power, and shattering it.

            The Creature that had once been Lusamine let out a cry of anguish and rage as the glass cut it. Its tendrils slammed into the ground, trying to catch Florie, and only succeeding in destroying her own throne. Florie slashed at some of the downed tendrils, severing a few, which jerked back towards the Creature’s body. It let out a distorted scream that sounded half like Lusamine, and half like something unspeakable…

            The tendrils shot after her again, and she managed to sever a few, before another seized her by the arm, and pulled her into the reactor chamber.

            The chamber extended far down below the throne room, and far higher than it as well. The core was a complex machine, plated in lead, enabling it to be safely approached, and supported by a superstructure of beams and scaffolding that would have allowed any technicians to service the massive device. Florie had the good fortune to land on a catwalk, and looked up at the Creature above her.

    “Look upon my creation!” It screeched, “This reactor… this will be the gateway for the new age! The New Gods! You were part of that! You could have finished it! You could have welcomed the New Gods with all of us! I promised you such handsome rewards… I promised you everything and still you betray me! Why? WHY?”

    “You have no idea what you’re doing with these things!” Florie replied, “You’ll subject the whole Galaxy to something even worse than the Tapu, providing you don’t just kill everyone outright!”

            The Creature snarled in response, a tendril smashing the catwalk, but Florie saw it coming. She leapt to a safer vantage point, and started running.

            There was no talking to what was left of Lusamine. All she could do was hope she could pull it out, and kill whatever was ruling her.

 

 

            The moment Nyx had seen Zenith, trying to lead Gladion and Lillie away, she’d tried to go after them. She knocked Plumeria’s legs out from under her, and sprinted into the throne room, only to feel a sharp pain as Plumeria’s knife grazed her cheek. The woman had hurled it at her, and drawn blood.

            Zenith took the opportunity to make his temporary escape, while Plumeria readied her other blade.

    “Not gonna happen.” She said coolly, “You and me, sweetie. I ain’t stoppin’ ‘till I’m dead.”

            Nyx didn’t respond, and went on the offensive. Down a knife, Plumeria simply evaded, only briefly parrying Nyx’s slashes. She kept her distance. She knew all too well what a cut from those blades would do, and she had no intention of dying like Moon had.

            Nyx slashed for her throat, and Plumeria ducked it, delivering a harsh kick to her stomach, before dashing away and snatching up her second knife. She spotted a hole in the floor… a Carbon Freezing Chamber, and grinned, as Nyx came at her again. She rolled out of the way, kicking at Nyx’s ankles, and threatening her balance. Plumeria sprang to her feet, catching the Knight in the side with another kick. Nyx stumbled, and raised her blades to defend herself from Plumeria’s inevitable next attack. The daggers went for her throat, and she met them both with her own twin blades.

            In her frustration and weariness, Nyx hadn’t yet noticed the Carbon chamber behind her. But Plumeria had kept her eye on it. She headbutted the Knight, stunning her just long enough to deliver one final kick to knock Nyx back into the chamber. The Knight let out a panicked scream, before tumbling gracelessly inside, and Plumeria hit a nearby button to start the freezing process.

            The carbon flooded the chamber, sending white smoke billowing up from it, and Plumeria smirked, before turning her back on it as the smoke rose from the chamber. She looked through the broken window of the reactor, up towards Lusamine, who pursued Florie higher and higher, and pressed herself forward to assist.

            She didn’t notice the frantic hands of Nyx, scrambling to climb out of the chamber. Her skin was paled from the early stages of the freezing process, and she was coughing frantically, but she wasn’t defeated.

            Wild eyes settling on Plumeria, she sprinted straight at her, blades still in hand, and skin burning in pain from the carbon. Plumeria whirled around, hearing her footsteps, and readying her blades to parry, but Nyx didn’t give a damn about stabbing her… no, she had something else in mind.

            She leapt at Plumeria, catching her in the midsection and sending them both toppling through the broken window, and plummeting down into the reactor chamber below.

 

 

            The Creature’s tendrils flailed, striking at Florie in a desperate attempt to seize her, to crush her, to kill her, no matter what it took.

            Her lightsaber tore through an assaulting tendril, which recoiled towards the Creature. It curled inwards, before beginning to heal and slowly reform. The Nihilego sucked more energy from Lusamine, drawing as much as it could from her to.       

            Another massive tendril slammed into the bit of scaffolding she was on, and Florie leapt to a lower one, inciting the monster to follow. But this time, it didn’t. It took her a moment to see why.

            She watched as Plumeria and Nyx toppled through the window, and mere feet behind them, was Zero, whose body was shifting rapidly to return to her original form.

            The Creature snarled in rage.

    “DAMN YOU!” The Lusamine-Creature it hissed, “MY OWN KIND, AGAINST ME… SUCH IS YOUR RACE, I SUPPOSE… HUNGRY AND STUPID.”

            The Creature spotted a few fresh guards rushing into the throne room behind the growing dragon.

    “DEAL WITH THE GUZZLORD! RELEASE ANOTHER OF US IF NEED BE!”

            Her announcement only alerted Zero to the presence of the guards, who were immediately met with a lethal swipe from her tail. Those in her path were killed, as a few others wisely attempted to flee. Some fools remained behind, vainly attempting to shoot Zero, and losing their lives for their trouble.

            One of the smarter guards sprinted down the hallway, and spotted Faba and Rico up ahead. They watched for a moment, as Rico punished Faba with punch after punch, sending the Admiral stumbling like a lost drunk. They knew better than to involve themselves in that fight.

            The guard froze on the spot, and as they did, they spotted a figure, frozen in carbonite… another Ultra Beast. It towered over them, frozen eyes boring into them, and on its stand, he could see an indicator.

            This creature was still alive, frozen in time. Waiting to be unleashed. Glancing over to Zero, as she slaughtered the last of his foolishly brave companions, the guard made a decision.

            They let the Ultra Beast thaw.

 

 

            Zero’s tail swept one of the remaining guards, crushing them against the wall of the throne room, and with no one left to oppose her, she set her focus on the Lusamine-Creature.

            She let out a menacing roar as her mouth started to glow a brilliant blue. The beam of destructive energy she fired nearby struck the creature, which weaved desperately out of the way. Florie sprinted to safety as well, while the Lusamine-Creature ducked behind the reactor until Zero’s energy blast had faded.

            Growling, Zero drew closer to the window, and spread her massive leathery wings, preparing to take off. She anticipated the squish of the Nihilego between her jaws, and the crunch of Lusamine’s bones… the Witch deserved this, and Zero would deliver justice. Yet before she could take flight, she heard an awful, blood curdling screech. She stopped, and looked back, just in time to see a familiar creature enter the throne room behind her.

            Its limbs and body were long and spindly. Its body seemed feminine in form, yet grossly elongated and distorted. The only real defining shape of it, was the thin membrane behind it. In truth, it resembled the Empress quite a bit. But the most distinctive identifier was the smell… alluring, more than anything else.

            There was a reason this creature had been called ‘Pheromosa.’

Zero snarled at it, hoping it would leave, but it did not, leave. In each hand, it held a half of the guard who’d awakened it, and it wanted more suitable prey.

            She brandished her teeth, the Pheromosa shrieked in return, before it lunged at Zero to attack.

 

 

            The ear splitting screech of the Pheromosa caught both Faba and Rico’s attention, but it didn’t stop them for long. Faba was already bloodied and bruised, but he didn’t go down. Rico kept up a sturdy boxing stance, and drew closer to him, closing the distance, before punishing him with another, powerful left hook. Faba reeled, but ducked the next punch, before slamming into Rico, and pounding against his ribs, pushing him towards one of the carbonite displays. Rico stumbled, and bumped it, before scrambling out of the way as it came crashing down towards him and shattered on the floor.

            Faba took the opportunity to grab a jagged piece of that carbonite, not caring that it cut into his palm. He brandished it like a knife, slashing violently at Rico’s stomach, and leaving a red scratch along his outfit. Rico broke his nose for that assault, but he’d drawn blood… and it was worth it.

            Faba took a few cautious steps back, goading Rico into attacking again, silently daring him to move. It was a dare that Rico couldn’t deny. His eyes darted between Faba’s carbonite dagger, and the man himself, planning his move before he made it.

            If Faba was going to fight dirty, Rico could oblige that. He faked the man out, forcing him to jab with his makeshift dagger, and miss, while Rico came from the side, landing a hard cross against Faba’s temple. He kneed him in the chest, knocking him to the ground, and stomping down towards his head. Faba moved just in time, and dragged his carbonite blade against Rico’s calf, leaving a bloody gash, and giving him a chance to push the man back.

            Grimacing in pain, Rico recoiled just a little, before reassuming his boxing stance.

    “What was it you said to be before?” Faba asked, “That threat, in that language you speak… how’s that working out for you?”

    “How’s it working out for _you_?” Rico replied, before managing a weary smile, and gesturing for Faba to come to him. Faba obliged, and Rico sidestepped his attempt to plunge the makeshift knife into his chest, and grabbed Faba’s arm, jerking it back, and dragging him a few steps, before kneeing him in the spine, and hurling him to the ground. He landed a hard kick to Faba’s stomach before letting the man get up, and as soon as he did, sent him down again with another kick to the chest.

            Their movements had almost led them to the grand foyer, and Faba stained the white floors with blood as he landed.

            Rico limped towards him, as Faba stood, weakened, but refusing to go down.

            Not yet.

 

 

            The Creature circled the reactor, chasing down Florie, who tried desperately to gain some sort of edge on it. It had distance and healing, she had little else. Tendrils snaked around the reactor itself, creeping through every means they could to try and reach her. Whenever they drew close, she cut them down, but the Creature was wiser than to get close to her…

            One of its larger tentacles seized a piece of scaffolding and ripped it away, to hurl it at her. She ducked, as it crashed into oblivion. The Creature saw it’s opening, though. Several tendrils seized the girl from behind, wrapping around her and starting to squeeze.

            Florie felt the breath leave her lungs, as she was nearly crushed… for a few horrific seconds, she was waiting for the fatal crack of her bones.

            Instead, there was the sound of a several blaster shots. The Creature let out a roar of pain before trying to toss Florie aside. Its grip weakened, just enough for her to carve through the tentacles that had grabbed her, and look for her savior.

            Zenith had appeared from an entrance higher up, blaster aimed at the creature, and rounds striking it over, and over again. Its domelike head cracked, and behind it, Lusamine’s eyes widened in horror.

            He’d injured it. Truly injured it.

            Shrieking, the creature dove for cover, and Florie took the opportunity to pursue. It fled lower down the chamber, where the machinery and gears were running.

    “The Kids are safe.” Zenith said, drawing closer to Florie, then looking down to where the Creature had gone.

    “Think it’s coming back?”

    “I think it wants us to follow.” Florie replied breathlessly, and with that said, began the descent towards the Creature.

Gladion didn’t care what his Mother had become. He only would have really cared if someone would just come along and simply murder her… she deserved nothing less, for what she’d done.

            The carbonite around Sun dissolved, as Gladion had set it to, revealing the boy inside, barely conscious, but breathing.

            Gladion hugged him anyways, peppering him in kisses, and trying not to cry. He didn’t notice Lillie staring at him, with a weary smile, before going to watch the battle. He didn’t care that she was gone.

            He had Sun, that was all that mattered.

 

 

            Nyx blacked out when she hit the catwalk. For several moments, she lay there, before rolling onto her side and groaning. Her skin burned from the carbon, and at least one of her bones had to be broken.

            Beside her Plumeria was in a similar condition, groaning and suffering, but slowly picking herself up.

            They’d fallen away from the display section of the reactor. The lead plating was still in place, but there was less scaffolding. Nyx considered them lucky they hadn’t hit the floor of the chamber and killed themselves outright!

            Machinery hummed, monsters screamed and a chain ran by her head, part of the reactor, no doubt. She could see Plumeria starting to sit upright, and summoning what little strength she still had, Nyx brought her blade down towards her chest. Plumeria caught it with her own, and for a moment, the two very battered, very bloody women pushed weakly against each other, trying to fight despite being too battered to do so.

            Above her, Nyx could see Zenith and Florie making their descent, and felt a stab of familiar anger, before Plumeria nudged her towards the edge of the catwalk. Nyx panicked, as Plumeria hit her again. Her blades slipped from her hands, left abandoned on the catwalk as she grabbed the other woman by the hair, before toppling over the edge, and pulling Plumeria down with her. For a second, they were falling again before Nyx landed hard on her back, this time on a narrower platform, barely supported by the scaffolding, and with Plumeria on top of her.

            The Skull Lieutenant groaned, briefly stunned, but she shook it off quickly, as she seized Nyx by the throat, and started to squeeze. Blood dripped down her temple, and Nyx tried to push her off, but couldn’t. She’d been through too much abuse. She couldn’t summon the strength anymore.

            She grasped at Plumeria’s wrist, fighting to get her off of her, but she couldn’t… she wasn’t quite out of options, though.

            She reached down, going for the knife in her boot. Plumeria didn’t notice, she just assumed it was the death throes of her enemy as she squeezed harder, and harder, and harder…

            Nyx raised the knife, preparing to plunge it into Plumeria’s ribs, before another blaster shot rang out. She felt an intense pain in her wrist, and the knife fell from her hand, and into the abyss. As the world started to go black. Nyx saw Zenith standing overhead, blaster in hand.

 

 

            Florie heard the shot, and looked over to Zenith, in hopes of seeing the Creature. She didn’t know what he’d shot at, she didn’t see it, and she also didn’t see the creature emerging from the machinery. A tendril seized her, and tossed her aside carelessly. Florie was dashed against the wall of the chamber, and as she fell, she saw Plumeria and Nyx below her. She couldn’t do a damn thing to change where she landed.

            She struck Plumeria in the side, knocking her off the platform and freeing Nyx from her grip. The Knight scrambled away, returning to the higher catwalk where she’d left her blades, while Florie picked herself up again.

            Nearby, Zenith had spotted the Lusamine Creature as it had emerged, and fired a few shots, forcing it back into hiding amongst the machinery.

            Florie looked over the edge of the platform, and saw no sign of Plumeria. She felt a stab of panic that she quickly buried. There wasn’t much time for panic. She hurriedly climbed off the platform, making her way onto the catwalk, with Nyx.

            The Knight had snatched up both of her blades, and was readying herself to go after Florie. Her assault was weak and easily parried. As their blades met, Florie slammed against her, forcing her to the edge of the catwalk, where she slumped against the railing, breathless and too sore to make another immediate move. Nyx coughed, spitting up some blood as she did.

            Florie took the small moment she had to quickly survey the area around her. She spotted the Lusamine Creature, weaving amongst the machinery, half climbing, half floating, as it made its way higher up to the chamber. She spotted Zenith a short distance away, pursuing it, and firing at it. One of the blaster shots struck it, drawing a shriek of pain from the monster, which chose to evade, as opposed to attack.

            There was something else. Florie spotted a shape, clinging to a nearby chain that fed higher up into the reactor. It took her a moment to realize it was Plumeria,

            The woman clung to the chain. She’d lost one of her daggers, and held the last one tightly. Her eyes settled on Florie, communicating that she was alright, before she gestured with her head towards Nyx, who had taken all the respite Florie had allowed her

            Nyx was on her feet again, blades held ready to fight, although there was a drunken unsteadiness to the Knight’s stance. Her movements were sluggish and weakened. But she still held that fierce determination that so many had come to fear.

            She threw herself at Florie, aiming to open her neck, but Florie proved tougher. She weaved past Nyx, and stabbed her lightsaber towards her back. With surprising speed, the knight stumbled out of the way, and swung one of her own blades to deflect Florie’s lightsaber.

            She panted weakly, glaring at Florie, and silently dared her to attack again. Florie held her blade up, stepping to the side and trying to strafe around Nyx, who remained steadfast, standing between Florie, and a way up, to confront her Empress.

     “You won’t get to her.” Nyx said, “Not as long as I’m living… no one will hurt my Empress…”

     “You’re still protecting her?” Florie asked, “After all she’s become? You’ve seen what that creature is doing to her! This isn’t Lusamine, Nyx! Not anymore!”

            Nyx nodded slowly.

    “I know…” She said, her voice cracking a little, “I know… but I swore an oath. I would defend her with my life, no matter what. I would carry out her will until the last breath left my body! I am a servant to the Royal Bloodline… I am sorry, truly… but I have no choice.”

            The two women moved at the same time. Their blades clashed. The sparks soared through the air, as they pressed against each other, locked in an unwilling battle of strength… but neither could walk away.

            Their blades parted, and one of Nyx’s was torn from her hand. She reached out vainly for it, shoving Florie aside, but Florie saw the opening. Her hand reached out as well, and from where it had landed, Nyx’s blade leapt into the air, pulled by the Force, where it landed heavily in Florie’s hand.

            With her remaining blade, Nyx made one last, desperate slash towards Florie’s torso, that the Jedi countered with her lightsaber. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, Florie looked remorseful.

            Nyx could see what was coming in her eyes… and she understood. She forgave it. Had positions been reversed. She would have done the same without hesitation.

            With her free hand, Florie drove Nyx’s other blade across its owners stomach, leaving a shallow cut, and drawing blood. Nyx cringed, before Florie pushed her back, sending her toppling over the edge of the catwalk, and down to the scaffolding below.

            Nyx landed with a heavy thud, and did not move. She wasn’t dead… such a fall wouldn’t have killed her, even in her weakened state. But the battle was over.

            Florie dropped the blade, and turned away, leaving Nyx alone. The Knight lay below, staring up at the Reactor chamber, quietly accepting of this defeat… as she felt her own venom coursing through her veins, she marveled at how painless it was.

            Nearby, she spotted the chain Plumeria had ridden to reach the top of the chamber. She regarded it for a few moments, before she reached into her pocket.

 

 

            Faba stumbled as he picked himself up, and found himself kicked once more in the stomach by Rico. The other man forced him to his feet, and seizing him by the throat, and squeezing.

            Faba couldn’t stop him. Didn’t stop him. He’d lost his goggles in the confrontation. His face was bruised and bloody. The carbonite dagger he’d tried to use was gone, although he couldn’t remember dropping it.

            He’d never seen such a look on Rico’s face. The normally friendly man’s eyes were narrowed and his expression one of disdain. But it was okay… Faba understood it all. He deserved this, and who better to give him what he deserved than Rico?

    “Go on…” He rasped, “Just do it…”

            But Rico didn’t do anything. His expression softened, just a little. Perhaps he would have thrown Faba to the ground, left him to his defeat, and moved on. Another voice caught them both, bringing form to what both men were already thinking.

    “That’s enough!”

            Rico turned, dropping Faba as he did, and saw Colress approaching, a blaster in his hand, aimed at the two of them.

    “What the hell are you two doing?!” He asked, “What the HELL is going on here? Rico? Faba?!”

            Faba slowly pulled himself to his hands and knees.

    “I’m sorry…” He rasped, “Sorry…”

    “Sorry?” Colress asked, looking between the two of them. He’d lowered his blaster, “For WHAT? What the HELL is going on here? Rico, when did you get back?”

    “You didn’t tell him?” Rico asked, looking down at Faba.

    “No…” Faba replied weakly, “I- I didn’t tell him a thing…”

    “Tell me what!” Colress demanded, and Rico forced Faba to his feet, pushing him towards the man they both loved.

            Faba clung to Colress, who let him hold onto him, but seemed more distant than ever before…

    “I’m sorry…” Faba rasped, he bowed his head, and Rico turned away from the two of them, as Faba’s lies finally came back to haunt him. He could hear the man starting to talk. Hear him coming clean, about shooting down Rico, about all of his sins. He looked back, and could see the shock on Colress’ face. It was enough for now.

            Rico moved on, picking up a fallen blaster as he did, and going to help Zero.

 

 

            The Pheromosa’s speed was ruthless. Zero tried to catch up. Tried to fight it, but the other Ultra Beast dove past her attacks, landing vicious kicks and leaving deep claw marks against her usually powerful hide.

            She felt the other creature tearing at her wings as she tried to shake it off. She could see its soulless, insectoid eyes glaring into her.

            Then, came the sound of blaster fire. A shot struck the other Ultra Beast in the back, distracting it from Zero. It whirled around, spotting Rico nearby, as he loosed shot after shot at the creature. His rounds did nothing against its chitin, but they didn’t need to.

            With a mighty flap of her wings, Zero forced the Ultra Beast away from her. It tried to focus on her as well, but in the confusion, it moved too slow.

            Zero rammed her body against the Pheromosa, before opening up her massive mouth, and catching it while it was off guard. It tried to leap out of the way, only to find its arm caught in her jaw. She bit down, tearing it off, and earning a screech from the Ultra Beast, which recoiled. Zero was on it again immediately, bringing her massive jaws down on its top half. Her teeth tore through exoskeleton and flesh, ripping the Pheromosa clean in half. The top segment died instantly, and the bottom seemed to stagger, and began to fall before Zero had devoured it as well.

            Rico couldn’t help but tip his girl a smile, and if Zero could have returned it, she would. Instead, she demonstrated her gratitude by focusing on the reactor chamber.

            She could see Zenith ascending some of the scaffolding, and the Lusamine creature circling back behind the reactor in an effort to ambush him. Perhaps it might have succeeded, but Zero was faster than it. She swung her massive tail, striking the Lusamine-Creature’s domelike head. It crashed against the wall of the chamber, it’s body cracking a little more, before hastily and clumsily evading Zero’s second attempt to crush it.

            Rico fired upon the creature as it tried to evade, striking it’s body and fracturing it even more. Zenith caught it from another angle, and below, it could see Florie running up to join the others.

   “NO!” It snarled, “NO! ENOUGH!”

            But there was little it could do to stop them. It tried to escape the blaster fire, and narrowly evaded a powerful blast of energy from Zero’s mouth.

    “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” It growled, “YOU COULD NEVER HOPE TO UNDERSTAND! OUR COMING WILL SAVE YOU, FREE YOU IN WAYS YOU COULD NEVER HOPE TO IMAGINE!”

    “We’re okay, thanks!” Zenith growled, as he landed another shot in the creature. It swerved drunkenly, and whipped a tendril towards him, only for that tendril to be neatly cleaved off by the newly arrived Florie.

    “BASTARDS!” It snarled, “SABOTOURS! MURDERERS, THE LOT OF YOU! IF I CANNOT COMPLETE MY WORK, I WILL DO IT HERE!”

            The Nihilego pulled itself towards the reactor. Rico and Zenith peppered it with a few more shots, wounding it, but it tried to ignore them. Its tendrils reached for a console on the side of the reactor, determined to activate it…

            Florie sprinted towards the Creature, determined to intercept, but it was faster. Glasslike tentacles encircled the console, inputting a command.

    “EVEN IF I DIE HERE… ULTRA SPACE WILL BE OPENED…” It growled, and the Reactor hummed in response to its input. Energy sparked around it, as another function activated.

    “She’s opening a portal!” Zenith said, and Rico made a dash towards the window, leaping through it, and onto some scaffolding, in a desperate effort to try and reach that console. To stop the portal from opening if he could.

            But suddenly everything stopped.

 ** _“Not gonna fucking happen.”_** A voice over the intercom said, “ ** _Sorry, Lady…_**

    “Jazz…” Florie said under her breath, and grinned. The Lusamine-Creature looked around for the source, unsure just what was happening. It tried to override Jazz’s newfound authority, but there was nothing it could do.

            There would be no hole in space. The reactor would not respond.

    “NO! YOU CAN’T!” The Creature screeched, “THIS IS MY REACTOR! MY SHIP! IT ANSWERS TO ME!”

 ** _“Well it’s my reactor now, asshole!”_** Jazz replied, and the Lusamine-Creature recoiled, tentacles writhing in rage.

    “Very well…” It snarled, “If this is how it’ll be… _then I have no choice_ … Initiate Reactor Override systems, authorization 2-3-9-0-4, User, Mohn.”

    “ ** _WHAT?”_** Jazz cried, but Lusamine wasn’t done.

    “Disable AI input and set Reactor level to critical. No delay. Disable all cooling procedures.”

            Rico’s eyes widened.

    “You’ll blow the reactor!” He yelled at the Creature, which regarded him with a cold glare.

    “If I cannot bring in a new age… then fine. But this ship will be our pyre! We’ll all die together, if that’s what you wish!”

            Behind the cracked dome of the Nihilego’s head, Lusamine smiled.

    **_“Please Speak the Authorization Code.”_** Jazz said, her voice strained, as if she was trying to override her own functions. But she couldn’t. For all her power, she couldn’t override a code she didn’t even know existed. How could any of them have anticipated Lusamine would have used her dead husband’s access codes?

            The Creature surveyed those who had defeated her. Zenith raised his blaster, as if he hoped he could somehow kill her before she went any further. Zero seemed ready to lunge, but none of them would be fast enough.

    “Authorization code; Lill—”

    “MOTHER!” The Creature stopped, before looking over to the voice. Lillie ran through the throne room, stopping just short of the window.

    “DON’T! If the reactor goes, you’ll kill everyone! Everyone here, everyone in Aether Paradise! They’ll all die!”

    “A worthwhile sacrifice!” The Creature snarled, “They’re unworthy! ALL unworthy of the gifts I would bring… perhaps this truly is better off… the only true ending to things!”

    “Then you’d kill me as well!” Lillie said, “Are you willing to do that?”

            The Creature hesitated. Inside it, Lusamine squirmed, and it’s tendrils tightened against her.

    “No…” She whispered, “No… I could never… not to my…”

            Suddenly her body contorted, almost violently. Lusamine cried out in pain.

    “THIS is the only way!” She said, arguing with herself, “SPEAK THE CODE OR I WILL DO IT FOR YOU!”

     “NO!” Lusamine yelled, fighting against the Nihilego. For a few moments, they two battled, writing against each other.

    “YOU WILL!” The Nihilego growled, “SUBMIT _! SUBMIT_!”

            Neither of them could see Plumeria, emerging from the interior of the reactor, her blade in hand. She hung onto the edge, staring down at the creatures in conflict, before making her move.

            She dropped down, throwing herself onto the Lusamine-Creature, and driving her dagger into its head.

            It’s argument ended with a scream that made those in the room recoil. Lusamine slipped from the Nihilego’s maw, dangling for a moment, before plummeting downwards towards the floor, free of her parasite at last.

            For a moment, it seemed as if she might fall to her death, when something leapt from the reactor, grabbing hold of her, and crashing gracelessly to the scaffolding. Florie rushed over to catch a better look, and spotted Nyx, laying beside the defeated. Empress. There was a fresh gash in Nyx’s arm, a wound from a large syringe of some sort.

            The syringe itself rested in Nyx’s hand, held tight. She had not been so foolish as to create a toxin she couldn’t treat.

            The Nihilego struggled to stay afloat, Plumeria sinking her dagger deeper and deeper into its head, before the creature finally began its descent. It crashed down into the scaffolding, before trying to float, trying to escape the only way it could, through the throne room.

            As it tried to fly in, it crashed again, this time, throwing Plumeria off of it. The creature tried to pick itself up. It gurgled weakly, a clear liquid leaking from its cracked body, before trying to crawl towards Plumeria, attach itself to her and heal.

            Tentacles ensnared the woman, who struggled against them as best she could, but slowly, the Nihilego pulled her towards its hungry maw.

            Florie leapt down from the scaffolding, hurrying back into the throne room, with her lightsaber drawn. She only just made it in time, and cut through the Nihilego tendrils, freeing Plumeria, and kicking the creature to the side.

            It tried to right itself. Tried to fly, or survive, only to be struck by a hail of blaster fire from Rico and Zenith. Screeching, the creature recoiled, but there was no salvation. It could not hide, could not move, and could do nothing to save itself.

            Zero bore down upon the Nihilego, taking it in her maw, and shredding its body. It burst apart against her teeth, and soon there was nothing left as the Guzzlord consumed it whole.

            Everything was silent.

 

 

            Nyx rose shakily to her feet, carrying Lusamine, bridal style. She made her way up the scaffolding, and towards the throne room. There was no other escape…

            No sooner had she reached the throne room itself, did she collapse, dropping Lusamine as she moved. From the corner of her eye, she saw Zenith drawing closer, his blaster in his hand. He leveled it at Lusamine’s head, and she weakly drew one of her blades, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop him when he fired the weapon.

    “Zenith!” Lillie said, running up to him. She put her hand on his arm, “Don’t!”

    “What if she’s still under that thing’s control?” Zenith asked, “How do we know?”

    “It’s dead!” Lillie said sternly, and Florie appeared on the other side of him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

            Lusamine stirred weakly, letting out a tired groan.

    “Mother!” Lillie hurried to her side, “Mother, a-are you there?”

    “Lillie?” Lusamine rasped. Her voice sounded different. Clearer… just a little bit.

            She looked into her daughter’s eyes, before her own filled with tears

    “Lillie… I’m sorry…”

            Lillie hugged her close, her weakened Mother, still in Nyx’s arms. Zenith lowered his blaster.

            Florie stood at his side, as Zero returned to her more humanoid form, and went to join them, along with Rico.

            Plumeria slowly stood, and approached them, staring with disgust at Lusamine… but doing nothing for now.

            Colress entered the throne room, dragging the bloodied and weakened Faba with him, and in the reactor chamber, Gladion descended towards the throne room, along with Sun, alive but barely conscious, and draped over him for support.

            They came together, for the moment. Nobody spoke. Nobody needed to. Lusamine wept as she embraced the daughter she betrayed, and beside her, broken off her neck, lay a heart shaped locket.

 

 

            Florie felt it first.

            The presence. It came on so slowly, but it was there, chilling her to her core. She looked away from Lusamine, only to feel a power wash over her. Her muscles froze, and in her peripheral, she could see the others around her freezing too.

            Their bodies stayed in a sick tableau… unable to move, unable to do anything more than breathe or blink.

            The applause started slowly. It was almost mocking.

    “Wow…” Said a voice, “Just wow… that was perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

            Florie saw someone, a figure coming through the door of the throne room, approaching them. Her eyes widened as they drew near. She knew she wasn’t alone.

   “I’m not gonna lie, I would really, _really,_ from the bottom of my heart, just love to let you have this. I’ve been around for a while, and I don’t think I’ve seen a more perfect ‘happy’ ending…”

            The figure chuckled, and stopped a short distance from them. A hand reached up, caressing a heart shaped locket around their neck.

    “But I’m sorry… I can’t let this happen.”


	30. Locket

The newcomer surveyed the assembled, a cruel smile on her lips.

    “You…” Nyx rasped, “You… I killed you…”

    “Really?” Samantha checked her own pulse, “Huh… well you did a fucking shitty job of it!”

            She gestured casually with her hand. Nyx stood, dropping Lusamine as she did, her body moved against her will, as she remained immobilized.

     “I think I know the problem…” She purred, reaching for one of Nyx’s blades, “You didn’t use one of _these_ puppies!”

            She grinned, and blew a playful kiss

    “Now I know I’ve said this before… but this is a nice fucking blade…”

            She turned away, waving her hand, and sending Nyx floating away. She addressed Lusamine next, bending down and picking up the heart shaped locket at her side.

    “How’s things, Lus?” She asked, with a coy smirk, “Man… you look like shit, Wow. Guess that squiddle didn’t treat you too well.”

            She sighed, and shook her head, when Lusamine didn’t respond.

    “W-what are you doing?” Lillie asked, she tried to struggle against Samantha’s power, but like the others, she couldn’t move.

            Samantha looked at her, lips curling into a grin.

   “That’s a good question.” She said, “All this bullshit, Tapu, Ultra Beasts… fuck, man. So complicated… So annoying. Wouldn’t it just be better if they were dead? If there was _nothing!_ ”

            She lifted a hand, raising Lillie up, away from her Mother, and suspending her in the air in front of her.

     “See your Mother, and Florie, here… they would’ve taken care of the Tapu… gotten rid of all four, easy as fuck! The Ultra Beasts… well, they’d be a little more complicated but…” She glanced over to the reactor.

    “I had a plan for them too… unfortunately, your Mother almost detonated it early, but lucky for me you stopped that! The one good thing you’ve done since you got yourself involved in this mess!”

    “You’d let the Tapu die, let Mother summon the Ultra Beasts, then blow the ships reactor…” Lillie said quietly,

     “The nuclear fuckup would hang near that wormhole, and the Ultra Beasts won’t be able to do shitting fuck to stop it. They’ll be walking into a trap.” She smiled, “The cycle will break, and this whole Universe… this whole miserable thing will _finally_ just _end_.”

    “But why! Why would you do this?”

    “Darth Moeder…” Gladion murmured, glaring at her, and Samantha looked up at him, “You… you’re her daughter.”

    “Daughter?” Samantha asked, before chuckling, “No… she’s been dead a long, long time… I’m the one who killed her fucking daughter! See… Moeder, I loved her, I loved her more than anything…”

            She caressed the locket around her neck.

   “She showed me so much… saved me! For a while, she was everything to me, the only thing that mattered! And then just like that… she was gone. I thought maybe, if I found that little bitch. If I killed her, then the pain would stop. But it didn’t… I’ve spent so long just looking for an answer, looking for something, but it’s not _there!_ There’s nothing! No point, no meaning to anything! Even _her…_ ”

            She shook her head, before looking at Lillie again.

    “The greatest thing, any of us could ever have… is oblivion. Sweet, fucking, oblivion…”

   “Y-you’re insane…” Lillie croaked, and Samantha cocked her head to the side.

   “I am? That’s such a vague word… insanity… what does it really describe?”

            She brushed some of Lillie’s hair from her eyes.

   “I could call you insane… for involving yourself, the way you have. It would’ve been so perfect. Florie would’ve done her job, Mommy here, would have done hers… but you had to get involved…”

            In one swift motion, she drove Nyx’s blade forward, driving it deep into Lillie’s stomach. The little girl gasped, and Lusamine let out a scream of horror.

            Nyx watched with wide, mortified eyes, but none of them could do anything, none of them could stop her.

            Still smiling, Samantha twisted the blade in Lillie’s stomach, tearing her little body open, before ripping the blade out. Ropes of intestine hung from Lillie’s body, as the girl went into shock. Blood soaked her clothes, her very life force bleeding out of her.

    “Problem solved.” She said, and waved her hand down. Lillie was violently dashed against the ground, her little bones snapping as she fell.

    “LILLIE!” Lusamine twitched, before moving suddenly. She unsteadily rushed towards Samantha, who effortlessly evaded her. Nyx’s blade twirled in her hand, before plunging into the Empress’ back.

   “Big mistake!” She said, before cackling. She looked around at the others.

   “Anyone else?” She asked, as Lusamine fell, collapsing over Lillie’s body. The others could only watch, immobilized and unable to move.

    “Thought not…” Samantha chuckled, “Well then… I’ve got a busy schedule. Since you shitheads went and dropped the fucking ball, I’m gonna set this shit right… so, I’ll show you the door!”

            She raised a hand, and the others began to levitate. Florie fought against the more powerful Force influence surrounding her, but neither she nor the others could break Samantha’s hold.

            Together, they were all forced back, pushed through the door to the throne room, through the foyer, and down the hall.

            Florie, Zenith, Rico, Nyx, Zero, Gladion, Sun Plumeria and Lusamine landed in a heap outside the airlock, with Faba and Colress laying prone nearby.

            The Palace doors sealed, and the airlock did as well. An alarm sounded, as the Palace detached from Aether Paradise, and launched itself off into the blackness of space, along with Samantha.


	31. Common Enemy

Lusamine opened her eyes. Breathing was difficult. It hurt like nothing else ever had. Her immaculate attire was soaked with blood, and Nyx’s blade still pierced her back.

            It was a wound nobody could have survived. Her breath came in exhausted rasps, as she lay in Gladion’s arms. Lusamine’s vision blurred in and out, as she tried to focus on Gladion, as Nyx and Rico worked desperately to try and do something about that wound.

    “The wound’s too deep…” Rico said under his breath, “Blood’s getting into her lungs…”

            Nyx didn’t reply. She knew better, and she hated herself for knowing it. She clutched the empty syringe she’d used on herself. She’d told herself that if she’d lived, she could still save her Empress, and now…

    “I can plug it.” Rico said, looking at Nyx, “But you… do you have—”

    “No.” She replied, “I used it…” She looked at Florie, and as their eyes met, Florie saw a look she didn’t recognize. A complete and utter hopelessness.

            Lusamine closed her eyes. She could hear everything. Feel everything… her own racing heart, her own clammy skin, and the pain of the wound in her back.

    “Nyx…” She whispered, reaching out, and taking her Knight’s hand, Nyx grabbed it back, her own hand shaking.

    “It’s okay… Nyx, its okay…”

    “My Lady… I… I tried to…”

            Lusamine pressed a finger against her lips, and weakly smiled, before looking over at her  

    “You’re forgiven…” She looked to Gladion, now, eyes starting to fill with tears, as she caressed his face. He let her, and stared into her eyes, not crying, not even sure if he could cry for her.

    “I should have been proud…” She said, “You’re so much better… so much more than I ever could be. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was so wrong… My Gladion…My sweet, sweet son.”

            Gladion closed his eyes as she spoke, and gently reached up, to rest his hand over hers.

    “T-take care of Lillie…” Her voice faltered as she said that, and Nyx raised her head, her skin going pale.

    “I… I will, Mother…” He said. He wondered if there was enough of her left to know he was lying.

            Lusamine smiled, and it lingered. Her hand went limp against Gladion’s cheek, as the light faded from her eyes completely.

            She was gone.

Nyx closed the eyes of the Empress, and let out a weary sigh, before bowing her head.

    “I’m sorry, My Lady…” She whispered, “I’m so sorry…” She looked up at Gladion now, who stared blankly at the corpse of his Mother, still trying to register what was happening.

    “Prince… no… Lord Gladion…” She said, gently laying down Lusamine’s body, “I’m sorry…”

   “You didn’t do this.” Gladion said, “You only did your job… Lillie, Mother… this wasn’t you.”

            Sun approached sluggishly, eying Nyx mistrustfully, and rested a hand on Gladion’s shoulder.

    “I could have done more… if I hadn’t taken the antidote…”

    “Then you’d be dead too, and nothing would have changed.” Gladion said, “She had her own weapons. Nothing you could have done would have changed what she did.”

            Nyx hesitated, before managing a single, curt nod.

    “Perhaps… My Lord… if you would have me. I wish to continue my service.”

            Gladion met her eyes, and Sun grimaced, but made no comment. Nyx avoided looking at him, but she could feel his stare all the same. She could feel his hatred.

    “Why?” Gladion asked,

    “Because that’s my purpose.” She answered.

 

 

            Faba sat against the wall, his face bruised and bloody. Colress had left him, in every way he could. He sat there, staring, and slowly shaking his head.

            Florie passed by him, with Zenith beside her. They both looked down on him, and he eventually looked up at Zenith. The man had stopped and his gaze lingered on Faba.

   “I suppose we’re all friends again now, huh?” Zenith asked, and Faba scoffed.

   “Well… I suppose that depends on you now, doesn’t it?” The man replied, “I suppose we share a common enemy now. But being the enemy of my enemy, doesn’t make you my friend.”

            He looked over towards Rico, watching as he lifted Lusamine up, and carried her body away.

    “No, I guess not.” Zenith said, “But we’re in this together either way.”

            Florie stood near him, quiet for the moment, and looking down at Faba, who only briefly glanced at her.

    “Seems so.” Faba murmured, before starting to stand up, slowly. He winced in pain, but Zenith didn’t help him.

    “If we’re going to be working together again… I suppose you can address me as Admiral, again.” He murmured, before noticing Gladion approaching.

   “He won’t be, actually.” The boy said coldly, “You’ve been demoted.”

            Faba opened his mouth to protest, but couldn’t find the words. Behind Gladion, Nyx stared a hole into Faba, silently threatening him. Even when she looked on the verge of tears, Nyx was intimidating.

   “Zenith will be your replacement as Admiral, you’ll be reporting to him from now on.”

            Faba grimaced, but kept his mouth shut.

 

 

            Aether Paradise’s bridge was busy. Many on it knew what had happened, but they knew better than to talk about it too much.

            A few of them looked at Gladion, studying him in mild disbelief, as if still trying to wrap their heads around calling him their new Emperor.

            He’d changed his attire, picking plain, but clean clothes. Sun stood by his side, looking worn out, but better than he’d been before, and nearby, a short distance away, was Nyx. She didn’t look at Sun, and he didn’t look at her. An uneasy tension sat between them.

            Plumeria, Florie and Zenith stood nearby, further into the Bridge by a large console.

   “She’s disabled all my systems.” Jazz’s voice said, “I don’t know how the hell she did it, but I’m cut off!”

   “Mohn’s access code.” Zenith said, “Samantha must’ve known it somehow.”

   “If she knows that, she can blow the reactor.” Florie added, “After she opens the portal.”

   “Yeah, but we’d need to know _where_ she’s gonna open the damn portal!” Plumeria said.

   “Akala.” Florie said, “That’s where Tapu Lele is, right? It’d make more sense to kill the Tapu before summoning the Ultra Beasts. After she’s killed it, does it matter where she opens the portal?”

   “Then that’s where we’re going,” Zenith said, “Jazz, plot a course for Akala.”

   “You want me to bring the whole damn station?” The new AI asked,

   “The whole damn station.” Zenith confirmed, before Jazz went offline to deal with that request. He looked to Florie, next, then to Gladion.

   “The next step, is to make a battle plan.” He said, and Gladion nodded, approaching him.

   “Yeah. We do,” The young Emperor agreed, “I think all focus should be on disabling Mother’s Palace. We need to let Jazz back in. Once we do…”

   “I can take the reactor offline.” Jazz offered, “Probably fuck up that machine too. But as for the bitch herself, you’re gonna need a way to kill her, and judging by the shitshow back there…”

    “I’d like a proper shot at her.” Nyx chimed in, leaving Gladion’s side to approach, “She caught us off guard last time… perhaps if there were even more of us. Soldiers… We could overpower her!”

   “We’d need to get close, though.” Florie said, “And who knows just how powerful she really is…”

            Zenith was quiet for a few moments, thinking it over.

    “We’ll figure out who goes, but none of you are going alone. I want soldiers with you… You saw what she did to us, back there. It’s gonna take a fighting force to take her down.”

            There was quiet, unanimous agreement among them.


	32. Cocoon

Queen Olivia entered her private chambers, her brow furrowed in an expression of frustration, at her back were her advisors, who remained silent as they waited for her to speak.

    “Prepare all Akala’s defenses.” She said to them, “I want our space stations online, fighters in the air… we need to shoot that ship down before it can even get close to our atmosphere.”

    “My Queen, we’ve just been informed that one of our stations went down!” An advisor said, “The Aether Palace may already be on the planet!”

            Olivia turned back,

    “How long ago?” She asked, “When did the station go down?”

    “Ten, fifteen minutes perhaps.” The advisor said, “I’ll ask them to search for any recently landed ships, but—”

    “Do it!” Olivia said, stopping outside her personal armory, “We stay on high alert until this aggressor, this Sith Lord, is dead!” She turned back from her entourage, and opened the door to her armory, striding boldly inside, only to stop as she did.

            Someone she didn’t know sat in the middle of it, smiling. She was short, petite even. Her hair was dyed a greenish blue, and she regarded Olivia with merciless, odd eyes. A large, dark coat was draped over her shoulders.

    “I’m actually not a Sith Lord.” She said, standing up, “See a Sith Lord… they go by Darth Somethin’or’other. Me? I’m not really anything. Just a concerned citizen…” She drew closer to Olivia, who drew the sword at her hip.

    “How did you get in here?” She demanded, and Samantha just grinned.  

    “Through the door.” She said, cocking her head to the side, “Same as you… and I am ever so motherfucking grateful you let me out of here, I was getting bored!”

    “You… you’ve come to kill Tapu Lele.” Olivia growled, “But you will have to kill me first!”

    “Sold!” Samantha replied, and sharply gestured to the side with her fingers.

            From her coat, a small lightsaber emerged. The purple blade extended, it was shorter than most lightsabers, but still long enough to cut through Olivia’s neck. The Queen’s head flew away from her body, as Samantha surveyed the advisors who watched in fear as their Queen was slaughtered.

            Five identical lightsabers, all emerged from Samantha’s coat, levitating in the air around her.

    “So, would anyone like to tell me about your Tapu?”

 

 

            As the Royal Scout ship left Queen Olivia’s Palace, it burned in the background. Samantha grinned as she made her way towards Tapu Lele’s lair. She knew there would be others there,   


                                                            ***

 

            The guards of Akala set themselves up as quickly as they could. Word was already spreading that their Queen was dead, and most of the guards seemed unsure of what to even do. What they could do.

            Tapu Lele’s temple was carved into a massive old tree. None were permitted inside, and proximity was known to be dangerous. But given the circumstances, the guards were willing to do anything they needed to do.

            One of them pointed at a sight, high up in the sky. Bursts of fire as ships and stations were destroyed, leveled by incoming fire from the Aether Palace, which had appeared in the sky as a scapegoat, while the true threat drew near.

            Most of them saw the ship incoming. The larger guns opened fire on it, but they could do nothing to stop it. The ship came down. One of the thrusters burst into flame as it sped down towards the battalions of soldiers.

            It crashed into the Temple, shattering the ancient wood. Its impact, and the subsequent fire, caused as its engines detonated, decimated many of those stationed there, and set the Temple alight.

            As the posted guard recovered, only a few of them saw the lone speeder coming, not until it had run over a few of their number, and come to a stop near the temple stairs.

            Samantha dismounted, her six lightsabers emerging from her coat to cut down anyone who stood between her and the Tapu. A few of the survivors attacked her, and were effortlessly cut apart by her lightsabers, which sliced through limbs, necks and torsos.

            One armored figure descended from the temple, blaster in hand, and fired several shots at her. She raised her hand, stopping them before they could hit, and directing them back. One of her lightsabers jabbed forward into the guards throat, before they were cast aside, as Samantha continued onwards.

 

 

            Tapu Lele could hear the conflict. It could hear the death. It could sense it’s soon to be killer coming. It felt an emptiness, where it had once felt its kin. It felt something it had not felt in a very long time. Fear.

            The Tapu had known this would come. It seldom ventured from its tree, opting to spend much of its time wrapped in a cocoon, sleeping. As its siblings died, it rose up higher in its chamber, looking for a means to flee. It could sense Samantha as she entered the chamber alongside it.

            It could feel her as she came, her lightsabers slashing against its cocoon. They didn’t cut through. The silk keeping it together was quickly replaced, along with another layer. The Tapu recoiled from her attack, fleeing through a hole in the tree’s trunk.

            Samantha regarded it with interest, before trying to follow. Channeling the force, she leapt up towards the same hole to study the Tapu.

            The cocoon seemed to flee, hovering higher up into the sky, and Samantha could have sworn it was getting bigger… expanding.

            Tapu Bulu and Tapu Koko had protected themselves with violence and power. Tapu Finni had protected itself with solitude, and now, it seemed Tapu Lele tried to form a shield around itself. She wasn’t a fool. Cutting through it would prove near impossible… but perhaps she could use something else.

            Her eyes shifted upwards, as she remembered the sight of Zero fighting that Pheromosa. Two creatures with amazing power… She wondered how many of them it would take to get through that cocoon.


	33. Arrival

            As Aether Paradise drew closer to Akala, Colress watched hyperspace pass from an observation deck. He stood thoughtfully, staring out into the void, until he heard someone coming to join him. He looked over his shoulder to see Rico, standing there.

   “Hello.” The greeting was curt, but not unwelcoming.

   “ _Ciao._ ” Rico replied, drawing close, “I know you must be upset… I know there were a lot of lies…”

    “That Faba told.” Colress finished, “Not you. No you… you were a different story.” He shook his head, “You never said anything. You saw it happening, and you didn’t stop him.”

    “You knew what kind of man he was… For a while, I didn’t even know. Even if I’d told you, what would have happened next? Assuming he didn’t just cover it all up with more lies.”

            Colress nodded sadly, as Rico drew closer to him. He felt the man’s arms around him, It wasn’t a bad sensation… he’d missed it, actually.

    “He would have.” He admitted, before sighing, “Well… either way. It’s over now. Even if the whole thing was built on his falsities, I imagine there were far more moments of sincere affection. On one hand, it’s almost flattering to know I meant so much to someone, they’d behave in such a matter, just to have me.”

            He sighed, and looked away from Rico.

    “But then again… what else did he lie about.”

            Rico hugged him close, unsure what to say. Pointless reassurances would do little for him. The hug meant more to him anyways, and Colress leaned in to kiss him, smiling softly as he did.

            That kiss lingered, perhaps more than it should have, but to Rico, it was the best kiss he’d ever gotten.

 

 

    “Reports are in from Akala.” Frost said, approaching Zenith on the bridge. It’d taken her a few hours to get out of Wicke’s control center, but Jazz had eventually been convinced to let her go.           

            Zenith studied the papers she offered him, and frowned as he read them.

   “If Queen Olivia’s already dead, then Samantha has reached Akala…” He looked over towards one of the people controlling the path of the space station.

   “How long until we reach the planet?”

   “Already decelerating the Station.” They replied, “Minutes, at most.”

            Gladion approached Zenith.

    “We need to get our fighters going as soon as possible.”

    “New reports, coming in!” Jazz announced, “You’re gonna wanna see this!”

            Zenith and Gladion both looked over, spotting small holographic images appearing. Zenith leaned in closer.

    “These are Ultra Beasts…” He said, before his eyes widened, “She’s opened the portal!”

            He could feel the ship decelerating, and rushed to the front of the bridge, only to see them emerging from hyperspace.

            The sight before him was near impossible to describe. Akala sat far below, and up ahead was Lusamine’s Palace. Atop it, the space around it seemed distorted. Shapes appeared from nothingness, in that distortion, figures emerged. Small entities, some which resembled Zero, and other in a variety of different forms.

            Just in front of the Palace, was something else. At a glance, it wasn’t easy to tell just what. It was round and massive, bigger than most of the Akalan fighters that tried to combat the Ultra Beasts.

    “That’s the Tapu.” Gladion said, as if reading Zenith’s mind, “That has to be it…”

    “What makes you think so?” Zenith asked. The answer to that question came from Sun.

    “Legends say that Tapu Lele can protect itself from any harm. They say it can’t be killed. That cocoon, there’s not much that’s gonna break that open.”

     “What would it take?” Zenith asked. As he spoke, he noticed Faba quietly joining them. The two traded a look, before Faba surveyed the damage to Akala.

     “I’m not sure.” Sun confessed, and as they spoke, Faba stared.

            He could see something moving, something going towards the cocoon. A ship, no doubt, moving quickly. He almost ignored it, until he saw a few other Fighters move to engage it, firing at its tail. This wasn’t their ally… and if it wasn’t an ally, there was only one person it could be.

            One of the assaulting ships overshot Samantha’s ship, dashing past hers, and crashing into the cocoon. Samantha’s ship followed, but Faba didn’t see any impact… no sign of a crash.

            Colress and Rico joined them, and he looked over his shoulder.

    “Something just hit the cocoon.” One of the others on the bridge said, “It might’ve been Samantha!”

    “Then she’s already inside!” Gladion said, “We need to take action, and fast! If she kills that Tapu, she’s gonna blow the ships reactor, and at this range, we’ll be dead whether the Universe comes apart or not.”

    “We divide our forces then!” Zenith offered, noticing as Plumeria, Florie and Zero joined them as well. Nyx lingered back behind Gladion, having remained silent and watchful.

   “Send the bulk of the fighters to handle the Ultra Beasts. We can send someone to shut down the portal, and disable the Palace’s reactor, and another smaller group to protect the Tapu, or falling that, at least kill that lady.”

    “I’ll deal with Samantha.” Florie offered,

    “I’m going with you.” Gladion said, and Sun’s eyes widened,

    “She’ll tear you apart! You don’t know how to fight!”

    “She killed my Mother and my Sister… I’m helping!”

    “Nyx killed my sister!” Sun argued, finally looking at the woman, “But I’ve kept my weapons sheathed. You don’t know how badly I want to do something for Moon… but if I can live without taking revenge…”

    “The Emperor can do as he pleases.” Nyx interjected, “Though I would advise against it… either way. Whether you decide to go or not, My Lord… I humbly request to accompany General Sun.”

            She saw the confused look in his eyes.

   “You’re right. I took your sisters life. I’m sorry that it came to that… I don’t do this in the hope that this will change what happened. But will do whatever I can to protect your life, for Gladion, and as penance.”

            Sun wasn’t sure what to say… he stared at her, still confused, before slowly nodding.

    “Then you’re welcome to come.”

    “I’m in too.” Plumeria said, but Gladion shook his head,

    “No… You already hurt yourself taking out that Nihilego. Samantha has lightsabers. She’ll cut through your daggers and kill you.”

    “I can defend myself.” Plumeria warned, but Florie put a hand on her shoulder.

    “You don’t need to prove that,” She said, “But she’s not gonna show any mercy. Me, Sun, even Nyx. We can fight lightsabers.”

            Plumeria avoided her eyes, but nodded slowly in understanding.

    “Yeah… guess you can.”

    “I still need to send some people to shut down the reactor.” Zenith pointed out, “They could use someone watching their backs…” He paused, then looked at Faba.

    “You helped design that thing, right? That whole setup?”

    “I did.” Faba said, looking over at him, “Admiral.”

    “Then you can shut it down. Go get to a ship. Plumeria will keep you alive until you get the job done. You shut down the portal. Disable the reactor, and then you come back.”

    “Understood perfectly.” Faba said, as Zenith turned to Rico next.

    “Rico, can you get to that cocoon?”

    “I think so.” Rico replied, “Zero and I are damn good pilots, but those beasts, the ships… it won’t be an easy path. Even then, I’m not even sure how much firepower it’ll take to get into the cocoon…”

    “I do.” Faba said, drawing closer, “You might not be able to crack that thing open, but I can. I can get our fighters inside. The Reactor isn’t that complicated, and neither is the portal. You’d be able to shut them both down, if you needed to.”

    “And if you found a way to allow me back onto that ship, I can help.” Jazz offered. “Hell, I could probably walk you through it.”

            Rico stared intently at Faba, staring through his new pair of glasses.

    “You’re positive you can get in?” He asked, and Faba nodded, glancing at Zenith, “Just provide me the exact equipment that I require. I need a ship.”

    “I’ll get Shivu.” Zenith said, but Faba shook his head.

    “Shivu stays here. I’ll pilot the ship myself. Just get me the ship. That’s all I ask.”

            Zenith nodded, before gesturing to one of the Aether technicians on the bridge.

    “Get this man his ship.”

            Faba left, with Nyx and Sun behind him. Gladion watched them both go, before following.

    “I’ll shut down the reactor.” Rico said, and gestured for Zero to follow. Plumeria went behind them.

            Now only Florie and Zenith remained.

    “You can handle this.” He assured her, “You’re tough.”

    “Hopefully tougher than her.” Florie replied, before smiling softly, “You know, you make a good Admiral.”

            She took his hand, and before he could say anything more, she pulled him into a kiss. It was brief, long enough to be a goodbye, just in case there wasn’t a chance to say goodbye.

            She took a step back, leaving Zenith still unable to speak, and left him like that, taking a parting look as she walked through the door, and towards a battle they both knew she might not return from.

     “You know it’s not really romantic to just stand there slack jawed.” Frost said, “So… if there’s a next time, you should probably have something a little better than that.”

    “Took the words right out of my mouth.” Jazz replied.

 

 

            Rico and Zero made their way to their ship, side by side. Plumeria lingered a short distance behind them. The hangar was covered in signs of rapid blaster fire, and Rico studied it, then sighed.

    “Rotom…” He murmured, before boarding the ship.

    “Doctor Carillo!” Rotom said. It’d been waiting patiently for some time, “I regret to inform you that the ships guns appear to be out of ammunition. But I defended the ship with everything I had!”

            Plumeria looked back out at the hangar. There was not a single dead body to be seen.

   “Good job.” Rico replied, setting his hands on the droids shoulders, “And now… for your reward, you can go and requisition new ammunition!”

    “But aren’t we enemies with Aether?” Rotom asked,

    “We talked it out. Go get more ammunition and bring it back here. We’ll be waiting!” Rico said, sending Rotom down the ramp. As soon as it was gone, he looked to Zero.

   “Load reserve ammunition charges. I’ll prepare for takeoff.”

            Zero nodded, and went to do as told, while Plumeria allowed herself a small chuckle, that died quickly as she saw Colress entering the hangar.

   “Hey, Doc… that guy’s here to see you.”

            Rico stopped on his way into the cockpit, and turned to leave the ship, meeting Colress a few feet away from the ramp.

    “I came to wish you luck.” Colress said, “Come back when you’re done.”

    “Of course I will,” Rico said, wrapping an arm around him, “I lost my first chance… I won’t pass up another.”

            Colress smiled, and leaned in to kiss him. On the ship, Plumeria’s smile returned, and she looked away to give them some privacy.

            They deserved it.  


	34. Faba

Shivu came running as Faba prepared for his flight. The man had finished a call, and as the blue haired boy arrived, he caught a brief glimpse of who he’d been speaking to, before their hologram faded.

            The woman had looked a lot like Faba, although significantly older, and with a chubbier, more-friendly face. Faba was quiet for a moment, before looking at Shivu.

    “You finally called your Mother back, huh? Good for you. Now why aren’t you letting me fly?” He asked, “I can make it! You know I can!”

    “I don’t doubt your abilities, Shivu.” Faba said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder, “But this won’t be a safe trip. I told you before… I’ll have other plans on the day of your funeral…” As he said that, he avoided meeting Shivu’s eyes.

    “I’ve flown through worse, and I’m a better damn pilot than you!” The boy replied, brushing Faba away, “It’s something I did, isn’t it? It’s about that AI, Jazz! It’s about her, isn’t it?”

    “To the contrary. Before I was relieved of duty, I recommended you for commendation. Admiral Zenith supports my recommendation, so in all likelihood, you’ll be seeing a promotion in the near future. One that will remove you from my service. Had I been upset with you, you’d have been demoted or outright removed from duty… What I’m saying is, you’re too good to just be the one who flies me around.”

    “Then why exclude me?” Shivu asked, “Colress? Are you showing off for him? For Gladion?”

    “Something like that.” Faba said, before going to walk past Shivu. He tousled his hair as he did.

    “Good luck in your future endeavors… Lieutenant…”

            As he left, Shivu wanted to say something, but found himself coming up blank. The holographic display flashed, indicating another incoming call. It was Faba’s Mother, again.

 

 

            Florie, Nyx and Sun had boarded the ship together. It wasn’t Faba’s usual one. No, he’d forsaken that for a different kind of ship. Far too large for the four of them, with considerable artillery, and several small scouting pods, primarily intended for escape in the event of a crash.

            Perhaps Faba had imagined he would need all that firepower to enter the Cocoon. Florie regarded it all quietly, and spotted Sun at her side, as Nyx did a quick flight check.

    “The Tapu’s still alive.” Sun said, “I can feel it in the Force. We still have time.”

    “Hopefully, enough.” Florie replied, before noticing Faba boarding the ship.

    “Prepare for takeoff immediately.” He said, closing it up behind them, “Nyx, on the controls. Give me an ETA on how long until we can hit lightspeed.”

    “Lightspeed?” Nyx asked, “We’re not going far.”

    “All part of the plan.” Faba said, and glanced over at Sun and Florie, before whispering to her.

    “We’re going to need to approach fast if we want to break through that cocoon… After you’re done, get the others comfortable into the scout ships, please.”         

            Nyx nodded, giving Faba a curious, parting glance, before going to the ships controls. The rear opened up again, and both Florie and Sun looked over to see Gladion joining them, Moon’s lightsaber in his hand. Sun rushed towards him cutting him off before he could get too far.

     “What are you doing here?” Sun asked, “I told you, this’ll be dangerous!”

    “I’m not much of an Emperor if I sit on the bridge, watching Zenith give commands.” Gladion said, “I’m here to help out, however I can!”

    “The guns won’t do much to that cocoon.” Faba warned, “And they won’t stop Samantha. They’re going in, to deal with her… if you’re on this ship, you need to be going in as well.”

    “He’s not going in!” Sun said, but Gladion pushed past him, towards Faba.

    “This is my fight too.” He said, before looking back at Sun, and taking his hand, “I’m not taking on her alone… I’ve got you, and Florie, and Nyx… I know we can do this.”

            Sun seemed hesitant, before slowly nodding.

    “If you’re sure…” He said, finally conceding, “But stay behind me! If she wants to lay one finger on you, she’ll have to go through me!”

            Gladion kissed him in response, holding him close, as Faba disappeared into the bridge. Florie watched everything with a smile… and hoped that they’d all be able to make it back.

 

 

            On the bridge, Faba sat down at Nyx’s side.

    “Hyperdrive is ready to go.” She said, “I’m initiating takeoff…”

    “Good, do that, then get yourself to a lifeboat.” Faba said, “You’ll want to be in one as soon as we take off.”

    “You intend to approach that fast, hmm?” Nyx asked, frowning, “How do you intend to keep yourself from crashing?”

            Faba looked at her, meeting her eyes for several moments. Nyx stared back, before frowning.

    “Absolutely not.”

    “It’s how she got in.” Faba said, “I saw it… She came up off Akala’s surface, and used one of the fighters pursuing her to punch a hole in the cocoon.”

    “It’s impact, velocity and firepower. We have plenty of that!” Nyx countered, but Faba just shook his head.

    “You wanna fire guns at that thing? We’ll risk blowing it up… and the Tapu along with it. Do you want to take that chance?”

            Nyx paused, before grimacing. The ship began to move, as Faba took it away from the hangar, and out into open space.

            He didn’t see Shivu at the door of the hangar, running out towards the port Faba’s ship had been in, and stopping just short of it, too late to stop the man from leaving.

 

 

            Nyx made her way towards the others. She had her blades on her hips, along with a few vials of antidote and a blaster. Gladion and Florie had a lightsaber and a blaster each, while Sun carried only his own lightsaber.

    “Faba want’s us all in the escape pods.” Nyx said, “We’re gonna approach fast. So we need to be ready.”

            Nobody argued. Sun and Gladion chose to share a pod, while Florie took her own. Perhaps she expected Nyx to join her, but she didn’t. As Florie got comfortable behind the controls of the small ship, Nyx shut her in.

            With the other three secured, she made her way to her own lifeboat, and hailed Faba on the comms.

    “I’m ready.” She said, “Good luck…”

            Faba didn’t reply.

 

 

            As the ship left Aether Paradise, Faba stared at the chaos ahead, and the blackness of space. He could see Rico’s ship nearby, and as his hand hovered over the hyperdrive ignition, he stared at it… He supposed he could have one moment…

            He hailed Rico, and before he even heard the man’s voice, he spoke.

    “Doctor Carillo… Rico… Look. I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of. Made many mistakes. You of all people know that. I just… I just wanted to ask you a favor. Something small… Take care of Colress, and my Mother. Take care of her too… Tell them, I’m sorry I wasn’t better.”

   “ _Faba_?” Rico asked, “ _What are you talking about?_ ”

            Faba disabled the comms, as opposed to replying. He took a breath, did the math, and placed one hand over the hyperdrive ignition, and the other over the switch that would jettison the lifeboats.

            He took the ship to lightspeed.

 

 

            Florie could feel the ship jerk forward, faster than she’d ever thought possible. She barely even registered what was happening around her, before suddenly, she was in space. Her lifeboat hovered just a short distance away from the cocoon, and she could spot Sun and Gladion’s nearby.

            There was a blinding flash on the surface of the cocoon, and a scorched hole appeared in its surface. There was no sign of Faba’s ship. It took Florie a moment to realize what the man had done.

    “That hole is gonna close!” Nyx warned, “Move in as fast as possible!”

            Florie didn’t need to be told twice. Her lifeboat shot forward. She could see Sun’s and Nyx’s doing the same. Sun and Gladion passed through the hole first. Nyx seemed as if she might make it second, when from her peripheral, Florie spotted something, an Ultra Beast lunge towards her lifeboat. It sent it veering off course, and Nyx only barely avoided crashing into the cocoon entirely, before vanishing from Florie’s sight as she entered the cocoon herself.

            The interior was massive. Spun from pale webs with a pinkish hue, there were countless thick threads running from the exterior casing, to the cocoons core. At it’s center was a bundle of thicker web.

            Florie’s ship struck one of the supports, before crashing down to the outer casing. The damage wasn’t severe, but enough to disable the ship for the time being.

            Grabbing her lightsaber, she emerged from the crashed ship, stepping onto the interior of the cocoons outer casing. She spotted Sun and Gladion a short distance away, emerging from their ship, and already looking.

            Something was launched at Florie’s head, and she held up her lightsaber, parrying it. Though she only got little more than a brief glimpse, she saw enough to confirm that it was another lightsaber that had attacked her. It was shorter than her own, almost like a dagger. After it hit, it recoiled from her, flying back into Samantha’s waiting hand.

            The woman herself stood on a support, near the Tapu’s true protection, a thick inner cocoon. Two similar lightsabers were buried in it, slowly working to carve through the web.

    “Nice reflexes!” Samantha chirped, “I was kinda hoping to make my entrance by cutting off your fucking head, but you said NO MA’AM, and knocked my shit outta the air! Now that, that is actually pretty impressive…”

            Three identical lightsabers emerged from her coat, giving her four, hovering around her, as she paced the cocoons support web.

    “I should’ve figured you assholes would try and fuck with me… I’d hoped you wouldn’t! I thought I made myself abundantly clear what happens when someone fucks with me, last time we saw each other… I mean, I was always under the impression that when one sees someone fucking disembowel a child, one understands that, that someone is not fucking around! But, I can see you’re all a little unfamiliar with how this works, so I’m willing to give you a second chance now that I’ve spelled it out for you… Fuck off. Unless you’ve come to help me kill this fucking thing, in which case, Fuck on! As in, get the fuck on over here! I could use the extra pair of hands!”

    “You’ll be long dead before you can touch that Tapu.” Sun warned, and Samantha scoffed.

    “Okay, JUST for that, I’m gonna kill you first, and her second.” She gestured to Florie, “Then, I’m not gonna kill you.” She pointed at Gladion last, “I’m gonna cut off your arms and legs, and make you WATCH me kill the Tapu, and maybe if I’m in the mood, I’ll let you watch me end the Universe. I mean… shit, I’d just feel _bad_ killing you. After your Sister, your Mother… and that thieving Father of yours…”

    “You did _what_?” Gladion snarled, and Samantha chuckled. Three of her lightsabers floated away from her, drifting amongst the support threads and vanishing.

    “No… no, I didn’t. I really didn’t. But could you imagine? How fucked would that be? Ah… but your Father was a thieving little shit…”

            She held up the locket she’d taken from Lusamine.

    “Do you remember the story of Darth Moeder and Darth Aureum? See… he made these for her. As a symbol of their love, before they stabbed the living fuck outta their teacher and fucked up all that rule of two shit. When they parted, she took both necklaces… and she gave one to me. Her Daughter took it off her corpse… she gifted it to Emperor Mohn for some occasion or another. She told me that somewhere between the fourth and fifth lightsaber I put in her torso… Either way, when I tracked it down, your Mommy and your Poppy were already making some BIG fucking breakthroughs. Your Dad, though… guess he was a little too curious, and wound up somewhere he didn’t belong. I figure the Ultra Beasts probably killed him… honestly, I don’t really care. After he died, all it took was a little push to convince the Empre—”

            Florie drew her blaster, and fired a shot at Samantha as she spoke. It stopped a short distance away from her, before fizzling out. Samantha glared at her.

    “EXCUSE YOU? I AM FUCKING _TALKING_! HOW INCREDIBLY FUCKING RUDE! JUST FOR THAT I'M GONNA FEED YOU YOUR OWN OVARIES! I thought you shitheads might appreciate knowing a little bit of the _why_ of things before I fucking murdered you, but shit, I guess you don't care, so you can go fuck yourselves!”

            She gestured sharply, and as she did, Florie noticed something had changed about her as she’d spoken. She only had a single lightsaber. She heard a blade roar to life behind her, and spun to counter it.

            Sun threw Gladion to the ground and leapt over the floating lightsaber that aimed to stab him in the back, before standing at the ready.

            Grinning, Samantha gestured once more, sending the three lightsabers into another attack, before dropping down from the support to deal with them personally.


	35. The Portal

The Ultra Beasts proved more nimble in space than most beings. As Rico’s ship drew closer to the Palace, he watched the way the creatures moved.

            He saw Nihilego, not unlike the one Plumeria had killed, floating undisturbed, searching for hosts to feed on. He saw Pheromosa, floating through the void with a controlled grace. Some of the Ultra Beasts attacked the ship, in search of food no doubt, but those that did met swift ends thanks to the ships guns.

            A Guzzlord, larger than Zero flew past the ship, ignoring it outright as it made a dive for Akala, several native fighters attacked it, and were soon joined by Aether ships as well.

            Rico only looked at them momentarily, before urging his ship forward. His comms crackled, as he heard a voice address him, Faba’s.

    “ _Doctor Carillo_ …” He began, before correcting himself, **_“_** _Rico… Look. I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of. Made many mistakes. You of all people know that. I just… I just wanted to ask you a favor. Something small… Take care of Colress, and my Mother. Take care of her too… Tell them, I’m sorry I wasn’t better._ ”

            Rico looked over at Faba’s ship, a fair distance away in confusion. It looked fine… he couldn’t understand what had inspired a message with such finality.

 “Faba?” Rico asked, “What are you talking about?”

            His eyes widened as he saw the thrusters glow, in anticipation of a jump to light speed. For a moment, he expected Faba to run, to be a coward… but he wasn’t.

            The ship shot forward, towards the cocoon. Rico could see the lifeboats being jettisoned before impact. One minute there was nothing, and the next, they were there. A split second later, Faba crashed against the exterior of the cocoon, leaving a hole for the others to enter through.

            Rico stared quietly, mouth hanging open, processing what he’d just seen.

            There was a thought, just a small one that Faba was on one of those lifeboats. But there would have been no time to get from that ships cockpit to a lifeboat, after it launched itself forward. Faba’s message had been a goodbye.

            Rico looked away, allowing a moment of silence for his fallen comrade. Even if they weren’t friends… Faba had been a man worthy of his respect, and Rico now knew why he’d opted to pilot that ship. Perhaps there was some hope of redemption… or perhaps, losing Colress was too much for him. Perhaps Faba had known that entering the Cocoon would have required sacrifice, and volunteered himself. Perhaps he’d been a good man all along.

            Rico narrowed his eyes, and chose not to dwell on it yet.

    “Papa! We can dock in the palace!” Zero called through the comms, her voice a little shaken. Clearly she’d seen the impact as well.

    “I’ll handle it.” Rico said, “Bring Plumeria up. There’ll probably be monsters inside as well… we’ll need to be ready for a fight.

            The airlock that led into the Palace’s hallway was too large for Rico’s ship, and connecting to it would have been too risky. He opted for another way, a service hangar on the lower end of the Palace. Not as close to the generator as he’d have liked, but the best he could do.

            Rico went in for a landing, and brought his ship down among a few forgotten cargo ships, before preparing to dismount. Zero had her blaster at the ready, while Plumeria had her daggers. Rico could smell something familiar, and paused to study them.

    “That’s Nyx’s poison…” He noted.

    “Good nose.” Plumeria replied, “Little gift from her, for kicking her ass earlier.” That was a lie, she’d stolen it, but Rico didn’t care.

            The scream of a Pheromosa sounded from higher in the palace.

    “There are definitely Others here…” Zero murmured, and looked over at the other two around her.

    “Let me go ahead. I can clear them.”

            Rico hesitated, before slowly nodding.

    “Fine… but stay in my sight.”

    “I promise, Papa!” Zero assured him, before walking briskly ahead, Plumeria watched her go, eying her peripheral, expecting a surprise attack. The Palace seemed dead silent. Even moreso than it had been when Lusamine had still reigned here.

            Up ahead, Zero entered a stairwell and ascended it.

    “I think this’ll lead us to the throne room!” She said, “Maybe there’ll even be reactor access!”

    “We can only hope!” Rico said, following her. The stairs led up to a hallway, and at the end of it… Rico spotted the spiral stairs of the Grand Foyer. They were still far below the throne room, but that was a ticket up, at least.

    “Come on, Papa!” Zero called, and Rico followed her, only to hear the scream of a Pheromosa again, followed by another sound, a roar only a Guzzlord could make.

            Zero stopped dead in her tracks, blaster lowered, but body ready, as thundering footsteps shook the hall.

            A shape entered the foyer. Big and black, with a mouth that could swallow a small ship. Another Guzzlord. It sniffed the air, smelling Live Meat, and more of its kind, before looking at Zero.

            She roared in response, a sound made almost adorable by the fact that she had yet to transform, and save for her eyes, wings and tail, bore little resemblance to her true self. Her adorable little roar barely seemed to dissuade the other Guzzlord, which drew closer to them. Zero would not stand for that.

            Her body began to contort as she changed. She broke into a run, shifting back to her true form as she did. She let out another roar, this one far more intimidating than the other one had been.

            The other Guzzlord paused, before Zero slammed into it, sinking her teeth into its hide and earning a squeak of pain from the other dragon. Rico took the chance. As Zero pressed the other Guzzlord against the wall of the great hallway, she created an opening for him and Plumeria to run through.

            They were safely on the other side, before the other Guzzlord pushed Zero back, black blood dripping from its open wounds. It gnashed it’s teeth at her, only to have its upper head bludgeoned by her tail. It tried to swing its own in defense, but Zero had already figured out how to best it. Her teeth bit down on its tail next, severing it completely, as she wisely kept her own out of biting range to keep it from reciprocating.

            As it writhed in pain, she struck it over the head again, before sinking her teeth into its back.

            Rico paused to look at her, watching as Zero so easily overpowered another of her kind. He wasn’t sure if he should have been proud of her power, or saddened by it.

            The weakened Guzzlord collapsed, biting down on whatever it could in some vague hope of latching onto Zero. But it failed. She pressed her weight against its head, and some of its teeth cracked. She roared in triumph, before looking at Rico, as if to assure herself that he was safe.

            Rico nodded at her, before ascending the stairs towards the Throne room, as Zero finished the job.

 

 

            Not even halfway up the stairs, did Plumeria notice the fallout from the fight. Blood had been spilt, and several of the other Ultra Beasts wanted in. Something fell past her and Rico, dropping down to the bottom level with Zero. With a glance, Plumeria confirmed it was a Pheromosa, similar to the one Zero had dealt with before. Another one, identical to it dropped down as well, followed by a third.

   “Shit, should we help her…” Plumeria asked,

   “Zero can take care of herself,” Rico assured her, “She can win…”

            No sooner had he said that, than the Pheromosa charged, and Zero’s roar could be heard. Plumeria looked back, before continuing up the stairs, determined to focus herself.

            It was several flights, and several thankless hallways before they reached the Throne room again. Rico hurried from the stairs, and over a bloodstain left from his confrontation with Faba, to the door of the throne room.

            Nothing had changed from when they’d left it. The room was still destroyed. The corpses of the guards sat in the same places, and Lillie…

            Rico tried not to look at her, but Plumeria drew close, covering her mouth as she did. The Ultra Beasts had feasted on the dead, and they hadn’t left Lillie alone. Something had torn at her, ripping apart her already mangled body. The young girls eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling, as if asking her killer ‘why?’

            Plumeria reached out to close her eyes, before looking away, and trying to purge the vision from her mind.

    “Florie will get her.” Rico said softly, approaching the reactor, “If anyone could do it… it’ll be Florie…”

    “I know…” Plumeria replied, “Nobody who would do that deserves to live…”

Rico nodded in silent agreement, before finding an intact bit of scaffolding, and making his way up towards the reactors terminal.

    “I’ll try and get Jazz running again. You try and get the doors closed.” Rico said, and Plumeria went to oblige him, drawing close to the door.

            As she did, a Pheromosa rounded the corner. Its hands and mouth were red with blood that it’d been feasting on. It stared at Plumeria, then at Rico, before screeching at them. Plumeria went for her blades as the creature charged her.

 

 

 

            The three Pheromosa that had charged Zero were no doubt part of a larger pack. She knew they were wandering around the ship elsewhere… and she was afraid of that.

            As the other Ultra Beasts had come, she resolved not to let these ones get the better of her. She dragged the corpse of the dead Guzzlord between her, and the oncoming predators. The first one leapt over the corpse carelessly, and Zero punished it with a swing of her mighty tail. She smashed the Pheromosa against the wall, shattering its exoskeleton and crushing its organs. It was dead before it hit the ground. The remaining two, were far more nimble, however.

            Their claws dug at Zero’s hide, forcing her to retreat. She gnashed her teeth at them, drawing one back, while the other slashed at her head. She hopped back to avoid it, spreading her wings as she did. Her mouth opened as that Pheromosa came again, and she loosed a powerful blast on it, knocking it backwards. The third rushed her as its companion was down, not allowing Zero any time to recover. It punished her sides with several blows, trying to claw at her flesh, and going for her head. In its desperation, it got careless. There was a misstep, just a small one that the Pheromosa made, but Zero bit down on its leg, ripping it from the creatures body. It toppled over, and tried hastily to crawl away, only for Zero to stomp on it, crushing it beneath her foot.

            Two down.

            The final Pheromosa rose up from Zero’s blast, studying her carefully, along with the bodies of its two companions. It hissed threateningly, as it weighed its options. Advance, or abscond… what to do.

            Zero snapped at it, forcing the other Ultra Beast to recoil, before it decided that she was not worth the trouble. It moved towards the fallen Guzzlord, to climb back over and escape, but Zero did not allow that. She charged at full speed, snatching the fleeing Pheromosa in her jaws, and pulling it away from the other Guzzlord. She’d thought the creature was dead, but it stirred, moving abruptly back to life.

            The Pheromosa in Zero’s jaws shrieked, but the other Guzzlord bit down on its torso, tearing it away from Zero and swallowing it whole. She swallowed her portion, and waited until the other Guzzlord roared defiantly at her. Its rudeness had been a show of disrespect… of territorial contempt.

            As it roared, Zero opened her mouth, to fire another blast into its mouth. The Guzzlord had not been expecting that. It lacked the chitin the Pheromosa had, and its mouth had been designed to feast, and to generate similar blasts. It was not designed to endure them.

            The damage done was severe. The burns on the inside of its mouth were crippling, and it jerked back, shaking its head from side to side, as Zero spread her wings, and floated upwards. She came down from above, biting into the head of her adversary, and removing it. The Other Guzzlord did not get back up, and she let the head drop from her mouth.

            Guzzlord could eat anything, but they knew better than to try to eat another Guzzlord.

            Snarling, Zero made her way towards the stairs, reverting to her more humanoid form once she reached them.

 

 

            The Pheromosa clawed at Plumeria, nearly gutting her, as it gave chase. The woman tried to keep its attention off Rico, but she found that the Pheromosa was almost too fast for her. If it’d really wanted to, it could have cleared the throne room and been feasting on Rico before she could even react… but for now, Plumeria held its interest.

            One claw reached out for her, and she slashed it, cutting off a few probing digits. The creature wailed, and slashed again, before Plumeria ducked and ran between its legs. She spotted just a small gap in its chitin, and slashed at it, drawing clear, watery blood.

            The Pheromosa turned to pursue, before pausing, and looking towards the throne room door. Plumeria took a step back, glancing nervously towards the door as well. She could hear a low buzzing…

            Something ripped past the door completely, a massive red insectoid creature with a large proboscis. The Pheromosa recoiled from it, but the new Ultra Beast dashed towards it. Before the wounded Pheromosa could run, the other creature, the Buzzwole had it in its clutches. It’s proboscis jabbed into the back of the Pheromosa’s head, quickly draining it of all its fluids… before crushing its body, and letting it fall.

            It’s wings flickered, and it seemed to flex its muscles in celebration, before looking at Plumeria.

    “Shit…” She murmured, before quickly dashing out of the way of its wrath.

 

 

            Rico tried to ignore the commotion behind him, but he couldn’t help but glance back warily at Plumeria. It should have surprised him that another Ultra Beast had come, killed the first one, and was now trying to kill Plumeria, but Rico honestly wasn’t surprised.

            He made his way to the console, stopping once he got there, and going for his blaster. He fired a few rounds at the Buzzwole, distracting it from Plumeria long enough for it to look at her. It beat its wings, although the gesture seemed weak. Its four legs barreled towards Rico, but before it could get to the window of the throne room, Plumeria raked her blades across the back of its legs, hamstringing its rear two. The Ultra Beast lurched forward, uncertain of how to adjust to its new position. It shifted uneasily, beating its wings, but seemed weaker than before.

            Nyx’s poison had already been killing the Pheromosa… and the Buzzwole had drank a healthy dosage when it’d drained the creature. The effects were just starting to kick in.

            The monster rose up as Rico shot it a few more times. It raised an arm to try and shield itself, but it’s time was running out. Plumeria took advantage of its distraction to make a crucial strike.

            In one motion, she cleaved through its proboscis. The point was sharp, but the structure was lacking. The creature writhed in panic, grasping at its mouth, and Plumeria punished it by dragging her poisoned daggers deep into its stomach, before retreating.

            The Buzzwole collapsed to the ground, and tried to pick itself up, only to fail. After a few more failed efforts… it lay there, breathing heavily in its final moments, accepting its death.

            Rico sighed in relief, and spotted Zero rushing into the throne room from behind, clearly breathless, but alive. He smiled, before turning to the console, and booting it up.

            From there, it was simple.

    “Systems back online!” Jazz’s voice said, through the comms of the ship, “Enabling weapons systems while I’m at it…”

    “Disable the portal!” Rico said to her, “Focus on that first!”

    “Love to, but that needs an authorization code. Please tell me you’ve got one…”

            Rico paused, straining to remember. He doubted his own code would work. He had no clearance on this project. Only Lusamine, Faba or Mohn would have been able to affect it… unless…

    “Kill all power to the ship.” He said, “You can do that without a code, right?”

    “Yes, but it’ll lock me out again!” Jazz warned, “And reset some systems…”

    “Like the portal,” Rico said, “If it doesn’t shut it down, I won’t give it the chance to start up… give me ten minutes, Jazz. Shut down all power.”

    “Shutting down.” Jazz said, and the ship went dark. The reactor fell silent.

            Somewhere on the ship, an Ultra Beast screamed, but Rico paid it little mind. He knew the portal was closing.

    “Zero!” he called, “Help me out, here!”

   “Anything for you, Papa!” She called, rushing to the edge of the window.

    “Break the reactor.” Rico said, “If it’s powered down, it’ll run less risk of exploding… it’ll still go critical, and then it will detonate. But I can use the ships auxiliary power to push it away from Akala.”

            Zero frowned, but nodded. Rico stepped down from the scaffolding, making his way towards the broken window.

    “How long would we have?” Plumeria asked.

    “Minimum? Six to twelve hours. Maximum, a few days.” Rico said, “It’s safest this way!”

            Behind him, Zero transformed once more. She wasted no time in biting through the metal, chewing through it like only a Guzzlord could. Rico watched as she devoured important machinery, and rendered the reactor inert.

            Rico picked up his comm radio.

    “Zenith, we’ve shut down the portal, and disabled the reactor.” He said, “We’ll be returning back.”

    “Negative, Rico!” Zenith replied, “I don’t know what you shut down, but that portals still open!”

            Rico felt his heart skip a beat.

    “Impossible! We’ve disabled all power to the ship! The machine holding the portal open was connected to the reactor, and Zero’s disabled that too! How can it still be open!”

    “I’m just telling you what I’m seeing!” Zenith replied, and Rico paused to think. He heard Zero finish her work, and could hear her returning to him.

    “Papa?” She asked, “Did we do it?”

    “No…” he murmured, “No… we didn’t… _Cazzo…_ What’s powering that thing, there’s nothing on the ship…”

    “Well what about something not on the ship?” Plumeria asked, and Rico’s eyes lit up.

    “Of course… Back when I was starting out, I was in the advanced sciences division.” Rico murmured, “It’s where I met Colress… My field has always focused more on biology, but Colress… portal technology was a side project of his. I assisted with his thesis on the effects of crossing through portals on biology. These systems, in order for there to be a steady connection, there need to be two generators.”

    “Then where’s the second?” Plumeria asked, “Aether Paradise?”

    “No… see, one generator can get you a portal. But it’s unstable. Shortly after Faba relocated me, they began experimenting with portals to Ultra Space. It’s how Zero, and some of the other specimens were brought through… but those portals were dangerous. They were prone to collapse after a certain amount of time. The Empress wouldn’t have allowed that for this project… She needed a second Generator, and I think I know where we’ll find it…”


	36. Samantha

            The lightsabers came quickly, and mercilessly.

Fighting it was different than fighting any other opponent. There was no one there to truly hurt. No opponent, just death.

            Samantha hung back, watching as Florie desperately tried to defend from her lightsaber, as Sun tried to outmaneuver it, and as Gladion helplessly struggled to evade it. She found the last one funny enough to go easy on the boy… after all, she had promised to kill him last.

            Her lightsaber swung for Florie’s head, missing as Florie ducked backwards. The lightsaber came again, and Florie swung to parry it. Her movement was off, just a little. But that worked in her favor. The blade of her lightsaber cut through the hilt of Samantha’s, destroying the weapon outright.

            It caused a lapse in her focus, only a brief one. That lapse enabled Sun to gain some ground. He almost destroyed a second lightsaber, but Samantha pulled it back before he could.

            Florie seemed to debate going after her directly, or helping Sun. She chose the latter, and Samantha grimaced. She waved a hand, seizing Gladion with the force, and tossing him aside, before collecting the lightsaber she’d been using to distract him, and lunging towards Florie and Sun.

            With three lightsabers under her command, she attacked. Sun slashed towards her stomach, and she parried his blade with one lightsaber, then swept the other towards his legs. He leapt over her, trying to get behind her, while Florie attacked from the side. They were both parried at once as Samantha casually turned to give them both a taunting smile. She gestured towards Sun, hurling him backwards, and directed all three of her lightsabers to Florie.

            The girl went on the defensive, desperately trying to battle three autonomous weapons alone. Whenever she dealt with one, another would attack out of nowhere. The small blades were perfectly nimble, and deadly enough to kill with ease.

            As Florie retreated, Samantha advanced. One of the three lightsabers returned to her hand, and the other two parted. The woman lunged, cutting straight down towards Florie.

   “I promised to make you eat your own guts, didn’t I?” Samantha asked, “Let’s make good on that…”

            One of the other lightsabers slashed towards Florie’s stomach, and she pushed back, narrowly avoiding it, and widely slashing at Samantha’s head. The girl’s lack of height proved to work to her advantage. She tilted her head slightly to the side, evading the blade with ease, before leaping backwards, onto one of the supports. Her lightsabers went down to deal with Florie again, and she spotted Gladion out of the corner of her eye, rushing to help her…

            Then she realized she couldn’t see Sun.

She heard the sound of footsteps landing on the support behind her, and looked over to see Sun, lightsaber at the ready, waiting for her.

    “Huh… Stealthy…” She mused, before taking one of the lightsabers off of Florie, and directing it to Sun. It launched itself at his chest, parrying his blade for the first and second swings, before he ducked its third, and brought his blade up through the lightsabers hilt.

            That was two disabled.

    “Annoying…” Samantha growled, “But you show some promise…” From the Tapu’s cocoon, came her final two lightsabers. The Force pulled them into her hands, and she launched into an aggressive assault.

            Sun knew how to battle. Moon had spent years pushing him… but this was something else. Samantha’s movements were fast and unpredictable. She ducked and weaved past every swing of his lightsaber, only occasionally parrying back. The blades twirled in her fingers, moving from stabbing to thrusting positions with every flick of her wrist, and sometimes leaving her hands altogether.

            Sun soon found himself trying to distance himself, but it barely proved to be enough. Samantha’s strikes came again, and again, and again until he felt a pain in his shoulder as she finally cut him. Her ever present grin widened, as she kneed him in the stomach, forcing him back and resuming her assault.

    “SUN!” Gladion called, noticing his boyfriend in his duel, and Sun tried to ignore him, to focus on Samantha… her threats were so fresh in his mind, he could hear them over and over again.

            Her blade came down against his, as the second swiped at his head. It only barely missed cutting off his nose.

    “Emperor Boyfriend over there seems a little worried.” Samantha taunted, “But you… you look perfectly calm… aren’t you worried too? You know what I’ll do to him!”

    “I already told you, you’ll have to go through me!” Sun growled, and her eyes lit up,

    “Oh that can be arranged, Sunny Boy…”

            Their lightsabers clashed again. Samantha was the one who recoiled this time. Both of her lightsabers slipped from her hands, and she used The Force to guide them in her assault. The first lightsaber was launched straight for him, and Sun parried it. He saw the second coming from up high, and readied himself for that one.

            But he didn’t see the third.

            Florie saw one of the two lightsabers around her pulling back. It soared past Gladion, and into Samantha’s waiting hand as Sun parried the lightsaber coming from up high. His stance was perfect. Legs perfectly apart, weight positioned accordingly. None of it mattered, nor stopped what happened next.

            In one broad stroke, Samantha slashed at him with her third lightsaber, cutting vertically from between his legs, through to his head. The blade went clean through, and by the expression on Sun’s face, he didn’t even seem to know what she’d done, until after it was already done.

            He fell, one half of him off each side of the support… and in between those halves, stood Samantha, looking down at Gladion with a big knowing smile.

            The young Emperor looked up at her in disbelief, before his eyes followed the twin halves of his boyfriend, sent plummeting down. The low gravity slowed their fall, but they did land.

            He wanted to run to them, piece them back together somehow! Do something! But he didn’t have any idea what…

            He was helpless, and now he was alone. In the span of a few hours, this woman had taken everything from him. His Sister, his Mother and now the boy he loved. Her influence had helped destroy Guzma and Moon… it’d been her bombs that had buried Skull!

            Gladion’s grip tightened on his lightsaber, as he glared at her, and Samantha raised her hand, and waved. The gesture was disgustingly polite.

    “You… YOU MURDERED HIM!”

            Gladion couldn’t use the Force to jump, but he could certainly climb. With a fury unlike any he’d ever felt before, he found himself climbing the support, making his way towards Samantha, his lightsaber in hand. She held the same weapon she’d used to kill Sun, and wore that same sickeningly sweet grin.

            She barely moved when he slashed at her. Every other attempt he made to hack her limb from limb was met with lazy movements. As Gladion wore himself down, she finally retaliated with a firm knee to the chest, before kicking out his legs. She glanced down briefly, to ensure Florie was still distracted by her other three lightsabers. She was… but she’d noticed what had happened, and Samantha could sense her desire to stop what would happen next.

    “Y’know… for an Emperor, motherfuck, for a former SOLDIER, you’re a shitty fighter…” Samantha said. Gladion drew his blaster and fired at her head. The round stopped inches from her face, before she playfully launched it at Florie. It missed.

    “I’ll kill you!” Gladion seethed, “You took him… you murdered him!”

    “Aww, sweetie… does it hurt? Don’t worry! Every boy has a bi phase!”

            Gladion tried to slash at her face, but she seized him by the throat, and lifted him off the ground, casting him down towards another support, where she leapt to join him.

      
   “Heartbreak is a cruel thing… it hurts, doesn’t it, seeing someone you love die? It hurts more than anything fucking imaginable!”

     “Then why the hell would you do it to others?” Gladion asked, picking himself up. His teeth were gritted in frustration. Nearby, he could see Florie cutting through one of Samantha’s lightsabers, before ducking the remaining two and sprinting towards him.

     “When one has been through a particularly shitty life experience, one tends to share…” She replied, “And you can consider yourself fucking educated, kid… besides. I did say I’d kill him first, didn’t I?”

            As she spoke, Florie leapt up onto the support behind her, bringing her lightsaber down towards the back of Samantha’s head. She spun, meeting it with her own. Gladion tried to stand, only to find himself forced back down. Samantha held out a hand towards him, exerting her power to force him to only watch…

     “Leave him alone.” Florie warned,

     “Or you’ll do what?” Samantha replied, “Fucking shoot at me again?” She pushed Florie back, and dared the woman to attack her a second time. As she came, one of her remaining lightsabers flew in to parry, and Florie drew back as the other joined them.

            Samantha watched as the two lightsabers attacked her from different angles, and Florie tried to get past them again. One slashed for her leg, and she leapt over it, before ducking the next that came for her head. As she rose up, Samantha jerked her hand out. Her third lightsaber was launched straight at Florie’s stomach. The second one appeared in the woman’s peripheral, and she dove out of the way of both, nearly falling off the support.

            As her balance wavered, Samantha dashed forward, snatching one of her lightsabers out of the air. Florie slashed at her, only to have one of the floating lightsabers parry her blade before she could even get close. The second of the remaining three cut through Florie’s lightsaber, and the third one, resting in Samantha’s hand, was driven down to the hilt into her stomach.

            Florie’s breath caught in her throat. Gladion screamed and tried to struggle, and Samantha just stared into her eyes, still smiling, like she had for the entire fight.

     “Now… if you don’t mind. We were having a private discussion…” Samantha purred. The blade of her lightsaber faded, and she tapped Florie on the shoulder, sending her toppling off the support and down to the ground.

            Samantha turned to look at Gladion, releasing him from her influence.

    “And THAT is number two! Assuming she even survived that, I might even have time to make good on my other threat! But first… I believed I promised I’d cut off your legs, kid… let’s get to that, shall we?”


	37. Zero Sum

“So someone needs to go inside the wormhole.” Plumeria said, “Don’t see why we can’t pop in, do what we need to, then pop out!”

    “It’s a one way trip.” Rico said, “With only one generator, the portal is unstable, but it’s still open.”

    “How long do these things usually stay open before they collapse?” Plumeria asked, “Hours, days?”

    “It varies.” Rico admitted, “Colress could get the small ones to last for a few hours at most. I don’t know what kinds of advancements he’s made, but that one could be large enough to sustain itself for days, maybe even months in a worst case scenario!”

     “Then they’ll keep coming through until it closes…” Zero said thoughtfully, “Papa, I could go!”

    “Absolutely not!” Rico said, “You’ve been away too long… what if you get hurt!

    “But it’s one way! Papa… this is my last chance!” Zero said, “I can go through, shut the portal down… and nobody would have to die! I’m best suited to survive over there!”

     “But I’d lose you!” Rico protested, gripping her arms, “And the Ultra Beasts coming out of that portal are dangerous! Please… we’ll find another way.”

            Zero hesitated, before pulling away from Rico.

    “I’m dangerous too, Papa… which is why I’ll be okay.”

            Rico reached out to grab her, to stop her from leaving, only to have Plumeria strike him on the back of the head with her blade.

    “Get going.” She said to Zero, “You’re right… this is the best way… and it’ll get you back where you belong.”

            There was no contempt in her voice, just plain objective fact. Zero nodded slowly.

    “I will… take care of Papa for me. Make sure he gets back safe.”

    “I promise.”

            Zero turned, taking one last look at Rico, who was starting to get up. Plumeria hit him again, stunning him, and giving the dragon girl another chance to run.

            She took it, sprinting out of the throne room, and down the steps, back to the hangar.

            Rico got up slowly, clutching his head, and Plumeria backed off, allowing the man some space.

    “Zero…” He groaned, before looking at Plumeria, “You… you let her go… _Puttana…”_

He stood up, shooting Plumeria a glare that conveyed a quiet fury, and for a moment, she felt convinced that he might hit her. But he didn’t.

            Rico ran off, pursuing Zero out of the throne room, and down the stairs. He could see Plumeria following at a slow, walking pace, and soon left her behind completely as he descended the stairs in the foyer.

            He could spot Zero far down below, and called out to her. She looked up, but didn’t stop. She was already in the hangar by the time Rico made it to the bottom of the stairs, powering on one of the cargo ships.

    “ZERO! STOP!” He called, “You could get hurt!”

            Her ship was leaving. The hangar opened, and it flew out, leaving Rico behind. He stopped beside his own ship, staring out into space, tears starting to stream down his cheeks.

            She’d left him. Zero was gone…

            Rico wanted to scream. He wanted to go back and punch Plumeria. He wanted to get on his own ship and try to stop her… but there was nothing his ship could do to stop her…

 

 

            Zero flew from the hangar, looking out at space before her. She studied Akala, and the cocoon of the Tapu. She thought about Florie, Sun, Gladion and Nyx. She thought about Zenith, and Plumeria. Mostly, she thought about Rico.

            She spotted the portal above her, and directed the ship towards it. She reached for the comm radio, and attuned it to reach Aether Paradise.

    “Zenith.” She said, “This is Zero… Papa says that the portals being held open from both sides, so… I’m gonna go close it…”

    “Zero?” Zenith asked, “Colress says that, that portals not gonna stay open for a return trip! There’s no way back!”

    “I know.” Zero said, “Which is why it’s best that I go! I can survive there! It’s Home!” She smiled.

    “Tell Papa, I love him… tell him, thank you for everything!”

    “Come back here and tell me yourself!” Rico’s voice chimed in, over the comms, “Zero! Please! Don’t!”

    “I love you Papa.” Zero replied, “But I have to go home… and I have to help you keep your home safe. It’s my way of saying thank you. Tell Florie, and Sun and Gladion that I’ll miss them all!”

    “You don’t have to do this, though!” Rico said, although there was resignation in his voice. Acceptance even. At last, he finally just said.

    “S-stay safe, _Tesoro…_ I love you too,”

            Zero shut down the comms, blinking a few tears from her eyes as she brought the ship closer to the portal. A few Nihilego passed by her, floating into space as she crossed its event horizon.

            Then, she was Home.

 

 

            Ultra Space was empty, and cold. Its landscape went on forever. The sky was infinite and she could see other creatures floating through it.

            She could spot a nearby floating landmass. Not a planet, just a bit of rock with some life on it. A few Xurkitree, feeding off the static in the air. One had a Nihilego on it, feeding off its body. A pack of Pheromosa brought down a Celesteela down below, while a Buzzwole lurked nearby, deciding which of them would be best to feed off of. A flock of Kartana flew past her ship, but their sharp bodies didn’t touch it.

            Zero could spot something out of place. A tower of human technology, surrounded by Xurkitree feeding off of its power. She plotted the ships course towards that tower, before leaving it on auto pilot, and stepping out of the cockpit.

            She opened the ships cargo ramp, and stepped out onto it. There was little gravity here, and the air barely felt present. Despite the speed at which she was traveling, the space around her barely felt like it was moving at all.

            Zero looked up at the portal, seeing Akala from the other side, and Aether Paradise beside it. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and finally looked up higher, at a group of Guzzlord, flying high above the portal, unaware that it was even there. She let her body shift, as she stepped off the ramp of the ship. For the last time she took her true form, spreading her wings and leaving the ship behind.

            Perhaps if she really wanted to, she could have tried to fly through the portal before it closed… She could see some Nihilego trying to make it, and a particularly large member of the passing Guzzlord group, swooping down to investigate the portal. It swallowed up the Nihilego, before poking its mouth through the portal.

            Zero heard the ship behind her crash. She saw the portal seem to flicker, startling the curious Guzzlord, before it closed outright, like it had never been in the first place.

            The other Guzzlord looked at Zero, before deciding she was one of its own, and flying off to rejoin its group. She could hear it hissing at her, not an aggressive hiss. A welcoming one… as if to say: _Come with us. We’re going to somewhere nice._

She went.

 

 

            Rico watched from his own ship as the portal shut down. Plumeria sat in the cockpit at his side.

    “It’s better this way, Doc…” She said, and Rico nodded.

    “I know… I just… I’ll miss her…”

            Plumeria rested a hand on his shoulder.

    “Yeah… me too.”

            With a heavy heart, Rico stared at the cocoon, and the other Ultra Beasts… lost invaders, who’d wandered into a place they didn’t belong. He knew he should be fighting them… but he couldn’t help but resent the ships who were already doing that. He couldn’t help but notice that they were winning… with no more Ultra Beasts coming, the ships fought to defeat the last of them. He looked at the cocoon of Tapu Lele. There was no way in. No way that he could help…

            This battle was over.


	38. Florie

**_“Wake up.”_** A voice whispered, and Florie wanted them gone. The agony in her stomach was overwhelming… she’d never been stabbed before, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Neither was dying.

            She could feel herself getting weaker, unable to so much as move. There was no sign of Samantha and no sign of Gladion. She figured he was dead too… and soon…

    **_“Stay with me.”_** The voice urged, and Florie thought she recognized its tone. She tried to focus her blurry vision, and found herself looking at the central cocoon, the one Samantha had been trying to force her way into.

            It was split clean open.

    _Guess that’s that._ Florie thought. Oh well… maybe if she was really lucky, she’d die before reality was torn apart.

            In her peripheral, she spotted something nearby. It was pink, and just barely poking out of a patterned shell.

            A shell…

            Tapu Lele stared at her, warily glancing around, as if on guard for Samantha.

    **_“Imagine… The Godkiller lays dying before me… and I find that worrysome.”_** The Tapu lamented, hovering over her, **_“But you are my only hope… that boy will not last much longer, and I cannot hide from her forever. You fought for my Sister… to protect her, and you came here to protect me, didn’t you?”_**

Weakly, Florie nodded.

    **_“I had thought so…”_** Tapu Lele noted, **_“I cannot easily reverse death. I can do nothing for your other companion… but I can help you…”_**

From its shell, small, dustlike scales shifted off. It brushed them towards Florie’s wound. As they touched it, it stung like nothing else ever had. She wanted to scream, but fought the urge, and was left writhing in agony on the ground.

    **_“Be still!”_** Tapu Lele warned, **_“Let yourself heal…”_**

****

****

Gladion was slammed against one of the supports, held aloft by Samantha’s power. But he didn’t let go of his lightsaber.

            Eyes narrowed, he picked himself up once more.

    “I’ll kill you…”

            He’d repeated those words so often, it was becoming a chant as he threw himself again and again against the woman who stood over a head shorter than him, yet was like an insurmountable wall.

    “I’ll kill you!” He lunged again, and watched as Samantha leapt back two strides. Her three lightsabers struck at him. The first came for his legs, and he leapt, kicking it off course. The second went straight for his stomach, and he deflected it. His lightsaber cleaved the weapon clean in two, and it struck his chest harmlessly. The third tried to catch his neck on his landing, and he parried it with his own blade.

            The remaining two lightsabers returned to Samantha, who merely continued to smile.

   “You fight like a Sith…” She noted, “All anger and aggression… It’s an admirable fighting style. It gets results.”

    “I’ll kill you.” Gladion replied, and she laughed.

    “I know… I can feel your anger… it gives you focus. Makes you stronger. Heartbreak. It really is the quickest path to the dark side. All that anger, that hatred…” She chuckled, “Light…dark, it hardly mattered to me at first. All that mattered was _Her._ Then she was gone… and for the first time, I felt it. I felt the call to the dark side… it’s really not that bad! The power… unlimited power! It’s really something!”

    “I’ll kill you!”

    “Yes, I know. You keep saying that, but you don’t deliver.”

            Gladion slashed at her, and she effortlessly weaved past him, ducking behind him. He slashed again, and she crossed her lightsabers to try and deflect him. But one simply parry was not enough to dissuade him.

            Gladion screamed, letting out all of his anger. Tears were streaming down his face as he brought down his lightsaber over and over again, like a cruel hammer, and finally, kicked Samantha square in the chest, landing his first hit on her, and knocking her back.

            Her focus was broken. Her lightsabers dropped to the ground, and as Gladion brought his blade down to impale her, she raised her hands, striking him with the power of the Force, and throwing him off the support, down to another one.

    “Not bad!” She said, as she stood up, “Now THAT… not even Her daughter could knock me on my ass… It’s been a long time, since anyone did that, actually.”

            Gladion picked himself up, and watched as Samantha hovered down to join him on the support.

    “Shame… you might’ve had potential, if Sunny-boy had actually had time to train you. Well. Maybe there’s a hell you two can reunite in! And sooner than you think…”

    “I’ll kill you…” He growled, before preparing to charge her again, but Samantha denied him that opportunity.

            She extended a hand, and jolts of force lightning erupted from her fingers. They struck Gladion, causing him to scream and fall. Moon’s lightsaber fell from his hand as she electrocuted him. After only a brief jolt, she stopped.

    “You don’t have the strength.” She said, before noticing something out of the corner of her eye.

            Tapu Lele, waiting by Florie’s body.

   “Well, well… looks like our business here is done.”

            One of her lightsabers floated into her hand, and she kept the other raised to him.

     “Now then, young Emperor… you will die.”

            The lightning returned, stronger than before, tormenting Gladion as it slowly tore at him. Samantha giggled as he suffered, a sound that seemed so playfully innocent, despite the situation. Gladion felt himself starting to lose consciousness, starting to die… and for a moment, he felt ready for it. At least he would see Sun again.

            There was an explosion elsewhere in the cocoon. Samantha stopped her torment, and whirled around to look, only to see a ship speed into the inner layer, snapping some of the support webbing and leaving the Tapu’s empty cocoon to dangle. Gladion saw it coming, and rolled off the support, plummeting down to one below it, while Samantha only stared with a look of shock on her face.

    “Huh.”

            The ship struck her head on, before becoming entangled in some of the web, and hanging there. Gladion slowly got up, studying the newcomer. It was a lifeboat identical to the one he and Florie had come in.

            Nyx.

            The woman herself emerged from the ship moments later, blades drawn and at the ready.

    “Lord Gladion!” She called, “Where are you?”

   “Here!” He raised a hand, and Nyx rushed to his side, climbing between webbing supports to reach him.

    “Where’s Sun?” She asked, pulling Gladion into her arms, “Are you hurt?”

    “Sun’s dead…” Gladion said hoarsely. Nyx only stared at him, before bowing her head, and looking away.

    “And Florie?”

    “Dead…” Gladion said, “They’re all dead…”

            Nyx cursed silently, before glancing at her ship.

    “At least I got her before she could hurt you…” She said, although Nyx’s voice carried no enthusiasm. Just sincere misery.

_“Inco-fucking-rrect!”_

            Nyx looked up, and raised her blade to parry one of Samantha’s, which crashed against hers, before returning to its owner.

            The woman stood atop Nyx’s crashed ship. She looked almost unharmed, although her hair was a little scuffed.

    “You crash my ship, and then you crash a ship into me… lady, I’m starting to think you are a _terrible_ fucking pilot!”

            Nyx set Gladion down, and readied her blades to fight.

    “Better than being a terrible person.”

Samantha just scoffed at that.

    “That’s the best you’ve got? Shit… well, I’m not gonna lie. I am EXTREMELY pissed off by all of that, but I’m also very busy here, so I’m just gonna kill you, then get back to work.”

            She launched both of her lightsabers at Nyx, who parried them with expert precision, and dared Samantha to draw closer. The other woman didn’t deny her that, and leapt to the same web support she was on, snatching her two remaining lightsabers out of the air and engaging Nyx.

            Gladion watched as the woman he’d spent so long running from fought to protect his life… and fought to avenge the brother of a girl she’d killed.

            The two danced around each other. Nyx weaved expertly around most of Samantha’s assaults, but found herself parrying far more than usual. The wicked Jedi laughed as they fought. Her blades slipping from her hands to attack Nyx from behind, or above, before returning to her hands.

            She brought her blade down towards Samantha’s neck, and her lightsaber caught it. The woman loosed a sudden, and violent kick, knocking Nyx to the ground and nearly sending her plummeting off the support. One of her blades fell from her hand, and vanished from sight.

            She didn’t have much time to think on it. Nyx rolled as one of Samantha’s lightsabers struck near where her head had been, burying itself up to the hilt in the tough webbing. With her remaining blade, she sliced at the lightsaber, damaging it, and killing its power.

            Samantha let out a growl of irritation, and her hand shot out. Force lightning caught Nyx by surprise, and she screamed as the pain surged through her body. The lightning was gone as quickly as it had arrived, as Samantha gestured violently with her free hand, picking Nyx up, and slamming her down against the support. The woman tasted blood as she landed, but still struggled to pick herself up.

            She caught Samantha coming at her, spinning and slashing at her throat with her lone remaining lightsaber, and Nyx only narrowly avoided it, parrying it with her own blade. Samantha gestured sharply with her hand, but nothing happened, as she pushed against Nyx.

            The woman recovered quickly, and readied herself for another strike… before she felt the pain in her shoulder.

            Moon’s lightsaber hovered past Nyx, and towards Samantha, landing in her waiting hand. Nyx felt it pass through her… and then all sensation in her arm was gone. She cried out in pain, and from the corner of her eye, saw her severed arm by her feet, still holding her remaining blade. The arm, and the blade soared towards Samantha, and landed in her free hand. She smiled, and gestured with it, lifting Nyx up again, before hurling her towards her ship.

            She struck it back first, and heard a crack as her spine snapped. Just like her arm, all sensation below her chest was gone as well, and she slumped limply against the edge of the ship, as Samantha watched her, laughing cruelly.

            She looked at Gladion, who stared at her in horror, and lifted him as well, carrying him with the force as she hovered down towards Nyx.

   “I’ve gotta admit… you fuckers put up a hell of a fight…” She chimed, “But it’s over now… and I’m a little tired of all the bullshit.”

            She landed a short distance from Nyx. She let both hers, and Moon’s lightsabers float away, as she held the Knight’s remaining blade.

    “So here’s what’s gonna happen. You’re going to watch, while I cut your little Emperor into little itty bitty chunks of meat… I’m gonna just hurt him a little bit first. Gotta carve me up some Tapu steak first, yes ma’am! But after that… I’m gonna make it real, real fucking slow… so you can comprehend just how badly you fucked up… and then, I’m gonna let you go and spend the last few minutes of existence thinking about what a colossal fucking failure you are. Does that sound fair?”

            Nyx only glared at her… she couldn’t respond, but her feelings were clear. For the first time since he’d known her, Nyx looked ready to cry… and as always, Samantha was grinning.

    “NOW! Let’s put one of these nice swords to good us—”

            A blade, identical to the one she held burst through her chest. Samantha’s voice died in her throat, as she released Gladion from her grip, dropping him onto the support. She stumbled forward a few steps, before turning to see who her assailant was.

            Florie stood behind her, eyes meeting Samantha’s.

    “You were right.” She said, “They are nice swords.”

            Samantha smiled, then laughed. It was a sick, wet cackling sound that would haunt those present until the day they died… but it was a laugh.

    “You… idiots…” She growled, “I still win…”

            She swayed drunkenly on her feet, before her legs gave out beneath her. She fell to her hands and knees, still laughing, still smiling.

    “Finally… oblivion…”

            Samantha reached around her neck, grasping the heart shaped locket she wore. With her final breath, she collapsed onto her side, before sliding off the web support entirely, and disappearing as she fell down to the bottom of the cocoon.


	39. Guardian

    “Gladion…” Nyx said weakly. She looked at the weakened boy, standing beside Florie. There was a hole on the stomach of her outfit, but no injury. Nyx smiled, before she closed her eyes, and lost consciousness.

 

 

            Florie looked down where Samantha had fallen. She saw no trace of their adversary, and nearby, spotted one of her lightsabers, lying prone on the ground. She kicked it over the edge.

    **_“You’ve done well!”_** Tapu Lele said, and Florie turned to see it approaching her, **_“In my hour of need… you came to my aid. You have my eternal gratitude.”_**

“I don’t want it.” Florie replied coldly, “You… I set out to kill you, you know. You took my Mother from me. Maybe things have changed… but I still think you deserve to die.”

            The Tapu studied her carefully, before nodding slowly. Florie made no moves towards it. Though she hated it, she wouldn’t kill it.

    **_“I understand…”_** It said, **_“I create, and I destroy. It is the way of things. I cannot give back what I took from you. I cannot undo the damage done. Not by myself, and not quickly. But I am sorry, Florie Lantana.”_**

Florie only stared at it, saying nothing, before turning away.

    “I’m getting us out of here…” She said, as Gladion went to Nyx’s side. The woman faded in and out of consciousness.

     “Thank you…” He said to her, “You saved my life back there.”

   “I’m here to serve…” Nyx replied weakly, “I’m sorry… I couldn’t protect…”

   “It’s alright.” Gladion said, taking her hands, “You did what you could.”

            The two exchanged a smile.

    **_“I sensed your intent…”_** Tapu Lele noted, **_“That is why I permitted you entry. You have done well as well, Nyx Hyacinth… and as a token of my appreciation…”_**

The Tapu drew near, brushing off her scales. Nyx felt them sting, and for a moment, expected the Tapu to kill her. She was done for anyways. A broken body, a missing arm… it’d be easier to ease her passing.

            Yet she felt the pain from her missing arm fade away, as it healed over. She felt the cold metal against her body, and her leg shifted. She felt alive again… energetic.

            Nyx’s eyes widened, and she stared at the Tapu. She could have sworn it was smiling at her.

    **_“Go now.”_** It said, **_“This cocoon only exists so long as I will it… the danger has passed. I must return home.”_**

Gladion nodded, and helped Nyx to her feet. The woman took one last look at Tapu Lele, before standing tall. She touched the stump where her arm had been. It was sensitive, but there was no pain.

            Side by side, she and Gladion followed Florie to her crashed lifeboat.

 

 

            The Ultra Beasts were gone. Those who had survived, had fled and would be hunted by Aether. Either to be killed, or returned home.

            The Palace hovered dead outside of Akala, and Aether Paradise floated nearby.

            The lifeboat was towed by Rico’s ship. They rentered the hangar, coming in for a gentle landing. Some of the soldiers who’d survived the battle stood nearby, watching carefully as the ramp was lowered.

            Nyx and Gladion left first, the Knight tailing her Emperor as always. Though missing an arm and her weapons, she was no less fearsome than before.

            Shivu ran towards Nyx, stopping a short distance away from her, and looking up at her with big, sad eyes. The boy looked on the verge of crying. Gladion glanced at the two of them, then smiled at Nyx, silently giving her permission, as if she’d needed it in the first place.

            She bent down, and hugged Shivu, grieving with him for Faba. The Admiral they’d lost. Gladion watched them both with a sad smile, before slipping away to be alone for some grieving of his own.

            Rico and Plumeria went next. Rico was quiet, almost expressionless, until Colress came for him. Then, the tiniest smile passed on his lips, as Colress hugged him and peppered him in kisses. Plumeria watched, and chuckled softly, before disappearing into the mass of assembled soldiers, as if she’d never truly been there in the first place.

            Florie came last, looking exhausted, and she’d taken not one step off the ship when Zenith appeared in front of her, pulling her into a tight hug. He kissed her, and held her close, for the moment, absorbed in their victory.

            The space around Akala was peaceful.


	40. Epilogue

In the new Aether palace, Gladion and Zenith talked of menial details. Basic politics for New Empire, interrupted only on occasion by Jazz or Frost.

            As the months had passed, the two seemed to have come to get along, while Zenith had adjusted well to his new position as Admiral. The same could not be said of Gladion.

            He did his best for the citizens of Aether. But he hated the crown… he hated being Emperor. Often, he’d isolate himself in his private chambers. He’d look at pictures of Sun and Moon. Pictures of Lillie, and sometimes even pictures of his Mother. After the cocoon had dissipated… there was nothing recovered of Sun’s remains. Gladion loathed that the most. There was nothing more than the pictures to serve as his memorial…

            But still, he ruled as best he could. It was all he could do.

 

 

            Zenith’s reputation as a legendary commander grew in the wake of what became known as the Battle of Akala. If Gladion did not enjoy his new postion, Zenith did. Under him the Empire moved seamlessly from a more aggressive age, to one of peace.

            He revisited Mele, and personally oversaw the aid given to those suffering in the aftermath of the Tapu’s death. He and Lord Hau were credited as the ones who saved the people of that planet, and helped them settle somewhere else. He took great pride in the lives he saved. It was a point of pride after all.

            At his side, more often than not, was Florie, and when she was gone, she traveled, visiting ancient Jedi temples and studying their ways, as if searching for some way to undo the destruction caused so long ago, or to utilize their knowledge to help the Galaxy.

            Between the two of them, they accomplished incredible things.

 

 

            Ricardo and Colress worked together, furthering Aether’s sciences. With the loss of Faba, Colress took his place, as Aether’s chief scientist. With Rico, he oversaw incredible new technologies, shaped to push not just Aether, but the galaxy as a whole forward. Throughout their lives, their knowledge brought them wealth and success. Rico was content with it… although every now and then, he would stop and think, remembering a four eyed girl with wings and a spiked tail…

            Sometimes he would sit and think, wondering about how his little one was doing, and praying she was alright. He never did forget her. Never.

 

 

            Plumeria left Aether Paradise in the aftermath of the battle. There was no definitive truth about where she went. Sometimes she would return, warmly greeting Florie and Zenith, teasing Gladion and always giving Rico a firm hug. But other than that, her history became one of legend.

            But those across the galaxy told stories about a vigilante bounty hunter. Some said she killed monsters, other said she protected the innocent. Others still claimed she was just some psycho on a ship, shooting at people she didn’t like.

            Some way or another, Plumeria survived for some time, before a few years later, she returned to Aether, to accept an offer to work for the new Emperor as a bodyguard and confidante.

            She trained under Nyx, who remained steadfast and loyal to Gladion. She never became anything less than the terrifying presence she had always been… and the addition of a cybernetic arm only served to make her significantly more terrifying. Legends arose as to how she’d lost the arm. The most accurate ones claimed she chewed it off during a fight, and used it to beat a Sith Lord to death. Nyx never disproved any of those rumors. But during the private time, where she kept to herself, she enjoyed a life of quiet luxury… and every day would look at a picture of Lusamine, and remember the day she’d lost both her and Lillie.

 

 

            Somewhere on Akala, a boy with dark hair and bright eyes awoke in a field. He ran his fingers through his hair, before yawning. He looked the tree behind him, an ancient tree with a temple carved into it. The temple of Tapu Lele.

            He thought about his sister, and then he thought about Gladion.

            Sun stood up, and started walking to return to the boy he loved.


End file.
